Chasing the Moon
by Elle917
Summary: Sequel to Phases of the Moon. Ten years after graduating from the Academy, Yuzu and Karin are established shinigami in their squads, and things are going great. But when rogue Arrancar start popping up all over the place and attacking Soul Society officials, things turn sour very fast, and old enemies are mentioned once again. IchiRuki, HitsuKarin, ByaYuzu.
1. To end our peaceful days

**A/N:** Well, here it is, folks. The sequel to Phases of the Moon. Don't expect the same crazy updating speed from me for this sequel…a lot of that was born about by me being so close to ending Phases and being so excited about it. I do have an original story I'd like to get off the ground, but at the same time, I hope you all enjoy this story.

The setting is ten years after the end of Phases, and if you haven't read Phases of the Moon, I highly suggest you do so. It's not required, but some of the plot points will be brought up from Phases.

On the agenda for Chasing the Moon, we have—1) Establish the ByaYuzu pairing. 2) Wrap up the Arrancar plot and reveal the main villain. 3) Show some fun scenes with everyone in their Divisions. 4) Don't horribly mangle anyone's characters, and 5) Maybe…potentially…start showing off a certain plot-heavy two syllable word that involves the syllables ban and kai.

Kind of a tall order, isn't it? Well, let's get started! Short intro chapter this time around, just to get the ball rolling.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 1: To end our peaceful days**

* * *

Kurosaki Yuzu, vice-captain of the Sixth Division, smiled as she walked down the hallway towards the administrative office, hugging a small stack of papers close to herself. It was about midmorning, and she had been out for the earlier part of the day running errands. It should have been an annoying chore, but the Rokubantai's business had brought her to the Thirteenth, and it was always nice to sit down for a bit and chat with Ukitake and Rukia.

She had run into Karin as she passed the Eleventh, and as Karin was coincidentally heading over to the Fourth to hand something to one of the countless Eleventh Division members that drifted in and out, the walk back had turned into a nice run, as the two of them engaged in a brief shunpo race.

She paused for a moment to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear, making sure she didn't look too disheveled. She glanced at herself in the window, quickly observing her reflection. The younger Kurosaki twin nodded once in approval, smiling slightly as she adjusted the vice-captain badge on her right arm.

She still remembered the day, just over a month ago, when Byakuya had offered the position to her. Back then, she had been third seat, and she had helped him supervise a training session. She had been cleaning and inspecting Jungetsu in the aftermath, and he had come out to her from his office.

"_Since taking on the position of third seat, you have assumed many duties normally assumed by the fukutaicho of the Division. I have had no complaints with your work. I would be remiss to not offer you the position officially." _

It still felt weird seeing it on her arm. The work was definitely different than usual, and hearing the title attached to her surname was just odd. But it was satisfying work, and she liked working with the other officers.

In the past ten years, she had really grown to love the Rokubantai…

"Yo, fukutaicho-chan!" yelled a familiar voice. Yuzu looked up, smiling at her third seat.

"Ohayou, Shiyougi-san," she said.

Shiyougi Hideki was a dark-haired shinigami with an easy smile and a cheerful manner. Apparently, he had been sixth seat back when Renji had been vice-captain, and had slowly risen through the ranks. She worried sometimes that some of the others resented her quick rise through the ranks, but Hideki had helped put everyone at ease when she had been appointed third seat.

"_Well, she's a Kurosaki, right?" _he had asked the group over dinner. The Sixth Division could be a solemn place during the day when Byakuya was in residence, but Yuzu had learned early on that the Division had two personalities—one it showed in front of Byakuya and the rest of Soul Society and one it showed to itself. _"She's still on living world time! So ten years for her is like one hundred years for us." _

That had gotten a laugh out of them, and had eased tensions all around.

"Didn't see you at breakfast," commented Hideki, a frown on his face. "Did taicho have you running around again?"

"Mm, to Thirteenth," said Yuzu, nodding. "Ukitake-taicho had papers for him. I ate there. I wanted to get a head start today. I'm actually going to deliver them now."

"Sou ka…" said Hideki. "Well, he's in. I think he's got a visitor now, though."

"I'll listen in before I open the door," promised Yuzu. She waved her hand cheerfully as she walked down the hallway. "Ja ne."

"Aa, see you," said Hideki with a grin, continuing on his way.

Yuzu walked up to the office door, a smile on her face as she considered Hideki's words.

_A visitor…_she thought. _I wonder who it is…_

She paused at the sliding door, listening. Voices rose up from in the room.

"I see…" said Byakuya, and Yuzu could practically hear the contemplative frown in his voice. "Has the soutaicho decided who to send to address the situation?"

"He's thinking of leaving it to Ichigo and the Fifth right now," said a familiar voice. "He'll send word once he's decided officially."

Yuzu's smile brightened as she recognized the voice. It was Abarai-taicho.

"Understood," said Byakuya. "Thank you for taking the time to inform me of this."

"No big deal," said Renji. "It's weird for you to not make a captain's meeting, you know."

"I had other obligations…" said Byakuya smoothly. Yuzu frowned at this. Had he _not _been at the meeting this morning? She'd left earlier than he usually came in, so she wouldn't know.

"…Them again?"

"That is none of your concern, Abarai."

Yuzu took a deep breath, deciding that she'd eavesdropped enough. The conversation was quickly taking on a private nature. She knocked on the door, revealing her presence.

"Ano…shitsureishimasu," she said, opening the sliding door and bowing politely. Byakuya looked up at her from his desk as Renji turned around, a grin on his face. He was standing in the middle of the room, his arms folded.

"Yo, Yuzu-chan," he said. "How's it going being my replacement?"

She smiled. Renji had been one of the people to offer her advice after she had officially taken on the rank of fukutaicho.

"_He's not as serious as he looks on the outside. Just stay polite and act natural, and you should be fine. The Division will probably latch onto you more than him—he doesn't really deal with the men as much, so you have to make sure to keep 'em engaged." _

"I'm still getting used to things," she admitted with a small chuckle. "But it's going well so far."

"Sou ka," said Renji, grinning at her. "Keep up the good work." He turned towards Byakuya. "Then, I'll be heading back now, Kuchiki-taicho."

Byakuya nodded once in response, straightening out a stack of papers on his desk. Renji patted Yuzu on the shoulder on the way out, closing the door behind him. Yuzu debated asking Byakuya what they had been talking about, but decided against it. She didn't know how he would take knowing that she had stood outside the door practically eavesdropping.

"Taicho, I have some papers from Ukitake-taicho," she said, giving Byakuya a polite bow. She stepped forward, setting them on the desk.

"Thank you," said Byakuya coolly, taking them and setting them aside. "Did he seem well?"

Yuzu frowned. Ukitake's illness was progressing slower than it would have in the living world, but she had spent most of her formative years in a clinic. She knew how to observe illnesses. To her eye, Ukitake actually seemed to be getting _worse_…She had asked Unohana-taicho one day if they had tried modern tuberculosis medicines, but the look the Fourth Division captain had given her was answer enough.

"I see…" said Byakuya with a frown as he observed her change in expression.

"…He seemed well enough today," said Yuzu. "He was great company…but I didn't want to tire him too much."

"Understandable," said Byakuya. "…What are your other duties for today?"

"Er…well, I was going to go see if Shiyougi-san needed any help with the drills this morning…and then fill out that form for the window replacement before lunch. If there was nothing else, I was planning on visiting Ojii-sama today. Did you have anything you wanted me to do?"

"Iie," said Byakuya, setting down his pen. He took a sip of the cup of tea at his side. It was probably cold by now, Yuzu noted. There was no steam rising from the water. "…There is nothing pressing. Give Ryushin-sama my greetings."

"Hai, taicho," said Yuzu, bowing. She frowned, looking over at Byakuya. "Ano…about earlier…?"

"Hmm?" he asked, looking up.

Yuzu shook her head. "It's nothing," she said. "Never mind. I was actually going to brew a fresh batch of tea. Would you like me to refill your cup?"

"That would be acceptable."

"Then I'll be right back," said Yuzu, taking the cup of tea from his desk and heading out the door. She took a deep breath as she closed the sliding door behind her, the tea cupped in her hands. In the back of her mind, she could feel Jungetsu's quiet contemplation. Over the past ten years, she and her zanpakuto spirit had gotten quite a bit closer, and it was easier to communicate with her now.

_Something wrong, Jungetsu-chan…? _she asked.

The zanpakuto spirit did not respond. There were some days when Jungetsu preferred not to talk, so Yuzu let her be for now, heading off to the kitchens to brew a fresh pot of tea.

* * *

Karin landed on the ground outside the Fourth Division, seeming to reappear from thin air. She tossed her dark ponytail back over her shoulder with a wave of her head, taking a deep breath and wiping the sweat from her brow with the sleeve of her shihakusho. After dropping Yuzu off at the Sixth, she had decided to continue on to the Fourth at a run, not wanting to lose some of the momentum she had built up. She took a deep breath, readjusting Ongetsu's scabbard so that it was secure in her sword belt before stepping into the building.

"Kaaaaarin-saaan!" whined a distressed Hanataro, rivers of tears pouring from his eyes as he hid behind her. Loud noises and the sounds of carts striking walls came from one of the examination rooms, followed by the sounds of panicked Fourth Division workers trying to calm their charges down. Her eyes narrowed, and she glanced back at the seated officer behind her.

"Are they at it again?" she asked.

"Hai…" said Hanataro weakly, nodding once.

"Alright," said Karin, clenching her fist. "I'll deal with it." She walked up to the door of the examination room, taking a deep breath.

"TASHIMA! HIRAI!" she yelled as she slammed the door open. "What the hell is going on here?"

The two injured Eleventh Division people looked up at her, their eyes widening in shock as they froze. They were seated on the examination table, tossing a roll of bandages between them and poking fun at a teary eyed Fourth Division nurse. Karin jerked her thumb towards the door and the nurse quickly ran out, coming to stand with Hanataro.

"A-Ano…Fourth Seat Kurosaki…" said one of the men, Hirai. He ran a hand through his hair, glancing at his partner.

"We were just…" began the other man, Tashima.

"You guys have some nerve!" she said. "What the hell gives you the right to take it out on the Fourth Division because you were stupid enough to get cut up during drill practice, _huh_?" She slammed her fist into the wall, causing both of the men to jump.

"We—we were just having fun—," stammered Hirai.

"D'you know how much work it is to get idiots like you back on your feet?" she said angrily, jabbing her thumb in the direction of the Fourth Division. "You think it's easy, running around and cleaning up your mess? I'm pretty pissed off myself, since I've got to fill out the paperwork for you losers, so you _better _treat them with respect, or I'll give you something to get sent to the hospital for. We clear?"

"H-Hai!" said both of them quickly.

"Good," said Karin with a scowl, whirling around and walking out of the door. She let the sliding door slam shut behind her, running a hand through her hair and walking out into the hallway. She let out a short breath, folding her arms and turning towards Hanataro and the nurse.

"They should behave now," she said, glancing back inside.

"A-Arigatou, Karin-san," said Hanataro, taking a deep breath. "It's really been more manageable since you started coming by."

"Ah, well, I can't stand people that act like that in hospitals," said Karin, scowling. "…I used to be a nurse, and guys like that were the worst. They give you any more trouble, let me know and I'll deal with it."

"Hai," said Hanataro, nodding.

Karin frowned, listening to the inside of the room, but it was quiet this time. She turned towards the Fourth Division officer. "So…I've got some papers to sign for those two, or whatever?" she asked.

"Aa," said Hanataro, nodding. "The usual. If you'll just follow me…"

Karin nodded, following Hanataro down into the hallway. He set two forms on the desk in front of her, and she signed quickly underneath "Admitting Officer" handing them both to him when she was done. "Honestly," she said with a scowl, leaning against the desk. "It wasn't like they were even fighting or anything. Yumichika was trying to get them to do sword drills and they apparently decided it would be more fun if they stabbed each other in the chest."

"Well, it _is _the Eleventh, Karin-san," said Hanataro with a small smile. "We get accidents like this all the time."

"You shouldn't let them treat you like crap for it," said Karin, glancing at him. "Stand up for yourself a little."

Hanataro laughed sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry," he said.

"Ah, whatever," said Karin with a shrug. "The thing about those guys is that they won't move until you scream at them a little. But they should be alright now. Send word if they start causing trouble, and I'll come back over."

She pushed up from the side of the desk, getting ready to head back to her Division.

Karin frowned, sensing a sudden spike in reiatsu. The doors to the Fourth Division slammed open, a worried voice shouting through. Her eyes widened. She _knew _that voice.

"Out of my way!" yelled the commanding voice of Tenth Division captain, Hitsugaya Toshiro. "We've got an emergency here!"

Hanataro's eyes widened, and he quickly ran past Karin, heading outside. Karin could hear the usually mild-mannered healer yelling orders to nurses, reminding her that Hanataro _was _a seated officer in the Fourth Division, and also telling her how serious the situation might be. She watched through the door, her eyes wide as she took in the situation.

Toshiro stood in the center of the room, his uniform stained with blood. None of it seemed to be his own, though, and the healers were ignoring him for the most part. His face was slightly pale, and there was a worried, almost frantic look in his eye.

On the floor in front of him, being quickly tended to by a team of healers, was Matsumoto Rangiku, vice-captain of the Tenth Squad.

A large gash had been opened up in her chest, blood staining the Division floor.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	2. Clouds on the horizon

**A/N:** If you haven't figured it out from the first chapter, Chasing will have a slightly darker, more serious tone than Phases did. That's not to say it won't have its funny and lighthearted moments, but Phases was a story to show the twins' journey through the Academy. Chasing is the actual plot that I wanted for Phases, but needed the twins to be older and stronger first before it could make sense. ^^

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 2: Clouds on the horizon**

* * *

Karin stared down at Matsumoto as a team of Fourth Division healers immediately went to work, her eyes wide as she studied the injury. She had seen a lot since becoming a member of the Eleventh Division, and even after sixteen years in Soul Society, her clinical training tended to kick in. Her thoughts moved sluggishly as she stared numbly at the vice-captain on the ground.

_The first thing to do is stop the bleeding…_

A pair of Fourth Division healers were already on it, their hands glowing green with reiatsu as they crouched on either side of Matsumoto, their hands hovering over the wound. The vice captain lay on her back on the floor, her gray eyes wide as she stared up at the ceiling. Her skin was pale and mottled, beads of cold sweat forming on her face.

…_She's going into shock…_

Hanataro yelled something to that effect, and the Fourth Division healers moved, three of them surrounding the injury as one of them ran off to get a stretcher and another yelled for Unohana-taicho. The Fourth Division healers ran past Karin and Toshiro as if they weren't there. Karin's heart thudded loudly in her chest as she observed Matsumoto's condition.

Unohana-taicho arrived, her calm voice briskly giving orders. Karin heard her call for bandages, and she was almost surprised to find the kit in her hands as she moved over to Unohana automatically, handing them to her.

"Arigatou, Kurosaki-san," said the Fourth Division captain. "Can you hold down this end?"

An hour later, Karin and Toshiro stood outside of the emergency room, listening to the voices coming from inside. Karin's hands were covered in blood. The Fourth had been short-handed, and she hadn't even realized she was helping until she and Hanataro were lifting Rangiku onto a stretcher, one on either side of the woman. But there was only so much first aid could do in this situation. Now, the only thing they could do was wait for the Fourth's healers to finish.

The air between them was tense, both of their eyes fixed on the door of the room. Karin let out the breath she was holding, staring down at her hands before turning towards her boyfriend.

"What the hell happened?" she asked.

Toshiro's eyes widened, as if he hadn't realized she was still there. He turned towards her, and then glanced back at the door. The Tenth Division captain shook his head to clear his thoughts.

"We were on a routine patrol of Karakura Town," he said quietly. "We had just finished a meeting with Kusanagi."

"Those guys again?" asked Karin with a frown. The Winter War had been about twenty years ago, and the battle between Ichigo and Aizen had released an unprecedented amount of reiatsu into Karakura Town. That year, there had been an inordinate number of children born with high reiatsu levels and the ability to see spirits. The Twelfth had concluded that their presence had in fact been the reason for the huge Hollow attack that had killed Yuzu and Karin, sixteen years ago.

Since then, the children had grown, and their presence had caused a positive feedback effect. Their reiatsu levels affected the reiatsu levels of the people close to them, much like Ichigo's had affected Inoue, Tatsuki, and her friends.

The result was a small group of powered humans with the ability to see and fight Hollows. The majority of them had banded together, naming themselves Kusanagi after the legendary sword that had slain the Yamato-no-Orochi and fighting off the minor Hollows that attacked Karakura Town. The shinigami tended to have mixed feelings about their group, some of them considering them valuable allies, and the others thinking of them more as nuisances than as help, since their presence attracted more Hollows to the already ravaged city.

Toshiro tended to belong to the first group. He usually made it a point to coordinate with them when he and Matsumoto patrolled Karakura Town.

"Aa," said Toshiro. He folded his arms, leaning against the wall. "They have a new girl—Yokota Kasumi. She has an extremely high ability to sense changes in reiatsu. She had just come back from a class field trip to Tokyo and tipped us off on some strange reiatsu fluctuations in Shibuya."

"So you two went all the way out there?" asked Karin.

"Yeah…" said Toshiro with a frown. "We didn't find anything odd when we got there. But Matsumoto and I split up…I spotted a man. He could see me and Matsumoto, so I thought he might be like those in Kusanagi. I wanted to question him, but he started running away. So I chased after him."

"And then?" asked Karin.

Toshiro sighed. "I felt Matsumoto's reiatsu and turned back," he said. "It was an Arrancar." He glanced over at Karin, frowning. "Catalina."

Karin's eyes widened. The memory of the red-haired Arrancar was still fresh. "She's in Tokyo?" she asked.

"She was," said Toshiro with a frown. "She's stronger now."

"Yeah, well so am I," said Karin, scowling as she straightened up. She placed her hand on Ongetsu's hilt. She could feel her zanpakuto spirit's interest pique. Ongetsu might have appeared to be a little brat with a stuffed animal, but he was surprisingly dark, and she knew he liked a good fight.

_**You and I aren't too different, Karin-chan…**_said Ongetsu in reply, a grin on his face. _**I'd like a chance to take on the person that hurt my **_**precious **_**partner…**_

"You're not going out there after her," said Toshiro simply, glancing at Karin. "I'm filing a report with the soutaicho. We'll see how things go from there."

"Aa, I know the drill," said Karin with a sigh, leaning against the wall.

The door opened, and Unohana-taicho stepped out. Both of them looked up, turning towards her. The Fourth Division captain looked tired and worried. That was never a good sign.

"Matsumoto-fukutaicho is stable," she said. "But she lost a lot of blood, and her body has been severely depleted of reiatsu. She'll be unconscious for some time yet. You should head back to your Division, Hitsugaya-taicho…I'll send word if anything changes."

"Mm…" said Toshiro numbly, straightening up. "Take care of her."

"Of course," said Unohana, nodding. She turned towards Karin. "Kurosaki-san…if you don't mind, could you walk Hitsugaya-taicho back?"

"I was already on my way," said Karin, nodding once. "Night."

"Good night," said Unohana as the two of them left the Division. Karin looked back, just in time to see the captain of the Yonbantai enter the room again, closing it behind her. She followed Toshiro through the gates, the two of them walking in silence for a moment as they made their way back out to the Tenth.

"…I shouldn't have left her," said Toshiro after a while, his green eyes clouded over slightly with regret.

Karin looked up at him. "No," she said, causing him to look up. Her eyes narrowed. "No, don't you dare start that, Toshiro. Matsumoto's a shinigami. So's Hinamori. So am I. You don't have to babysit us. We knew the risks when we signed up for this."

Toshiro stared at her for a moment, then shook his head. "I know…" he said. "I know that…"

"You moping around isn't going to fix anything," said Karin as they neared his Division. "What you have to do is get in there and tell your guys that it's going to be alright. That there was an accident on the mission, but their fukutaicho is in stable condition. And then we'll figure something out. Catalina's not getting away with it this time."

"Aa…" said Toshiro, looking away. He nodded once. "You're right," he said. "Sorry…"

Karin shrugged in response. "If people get sent out, I want in," she said. "I have a score to settle with her."

"I'll be sure to let you know what the soutaicho orders, if it comes to that," said Toshiro. "I don't think anyone would object to a member of the Eleventh Division joining us for a combat mission."

"Thanks," said Karin, sighing as they stopped in front of his Division. "Are you gonna be alright?"

"I'll be fine," said Toshiro, turning towards her. "Thanks."

"Yeah," said Karin. "Anytime. Don't angst about it too much, okay?"

He gave her a brief smile. "I'll try," he said. "No promises." He leaned in, kissing her briefly. "See you later," he said.

"Aa…" said Karin as he pulled away. "Later."

She watched as he walked back into his Division, then sighed, slowly making her way back to her own. It was already past noon. She had no idea that they had been standing in the Fourth for so long. The time had seemed to pass with that quick pace it always did in an emergency.

She shook her head, staring up at the sky. Clouds had begun to gather on the horizon, the sign of a spring shower approaching.

So much for a nice, peaceful day.

* * *

The Fifth's office was as crowded as usual. It seemed like Ichigo always had people over, whenever she came here. This time, it was Rukia who was seated in a chair in front of her brother's desk. Ichigo himself sat on the desk, and it looked like the two of them had been talking about something. They looked up as she entered the room, and Yuzu gave them a sheepish smile.

"Sorry to interrupt," she said.

"Ah, iie," said Rukia, waving her hand dismissively. "You weren't interrupting anything. I just thought I'd come over for lunch."

"Everything alright, Yuzu?" asked Ichigo with a frown.

"Hai," said Yuzu, smiling. She shut the office door behind her. "Everything's fine. I got done early today and was going to go see if Masa-kun wanted to visit Ojii-sama with me, but I can't find him. I thought he might be in here…"

"Masa's out," said Ichigo. "He's helping some guys in the Third deal with reports of a Hollow in Rukongai. He should be back by tonight."

"Sou ka…" said Yuzu, frowning. "I'll go by myself, then."

"How are things at the Sixth?" asked Ichigo.

"Good," said Yuzu, smiling. "I think I'm starting to get used to this position."

"That's good," said Ichigo. "Byakuya's not working you too hard?"

Yuzu shook her head. "Not at all," she said. "There's more work, of course, but it's all things I can handle."

"How _is _nii-sama?" asked Rukia. "I should drop by soon…"

"He's fine," said Yuzu. "He seems busy, but that's normal. I think he'd like it if you visited though, Rukia-nee. He's been a little…stressed these past couple of weeks…"

Ichigo snorted. "When is Byakuya _not _stressed?" he asked.

"Ichigo!" said Rukia, turning towards him.

"What?" asked Ichigo. "It's true."

A knock came at the door. Ichigo, Rukia, and Yuzu looked up as it opened, watching as one of the Fifth's officers came in. He bowed. "Ano…excuse me, Kuchiki-fukutaicho, but the Thirteenth sent a message. Third Seat Kotetsu wants to know if you can come back this afternoon to help authorize some living world missions."

"Tell her I'll be right there," said Rukia, getting up. She sighed, glancing at Ichigo. "…It looks like we'll have to cut lunch short," she said.

"Aa…" said Ichigo with a frown, pushing himself off the desk and getting to his feet. He glanced over at Rukia. "And that's another thing," he said, raising an eyebrow. "_Kuchiki_-fukutaicho?"

"Well, we can't very well have two Kurosaki-fukutaichos running around, can we?" asked Rukia, frowning at him. "People would just get confused." She folded her arms. "Besides, nii-sama insisted. I can't change my name while I'm still next in line."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," said Ichigo, rolling his eyes. "Politics." He leaned down, his expression softening somewhat as he watched Rukia. "See you at home?"

"Yeah," said Rukia, smiling slightly. "See you."

Yuzu smiled, watching them. Ichigo and Rukia still argued like cats and dogs once in a while, but there was no denying that they both felt very deeply for each other. The same could be said for Karin and Toshiro. It made her smile, when she thought about both her brash siblings being so completely in love.

They didn't kiss. Yuzu had a feeling they might have, if she wasn't standing in the office. But they did smile and exchange looks between them, as her new sister-in-law made her way towards the door.

The sliding door opened again before Rukia could reach it, admitting a breathless Hinamori. She had her hands cupped protectively around a black jigokucho.

"Taicho!" she called. "Message from the soutaicho. All captains available are being called to an emergency meeting."

Rukia's eyes widened. "What's going on?" she asked as Ichigo picked up Zangetsu from its place against the wall, slipping the sword over his back.

"Shir—Hitsugaya-taicho just got back from a living world mission," said Hinamori, her eyes wide. "Matsumoto-fukutaicho is seriously hurt. The attack was caused by a rogue Arrancar, reportedly the same Catalina Falza that attacked the Academy students ten years ago."

Yuzu's eyes widened. Ichigo's expression grew serious. "I'm on my way," he said.

"Is Rangiku-san okay?" asked Yuzu.

"She's stable, but she's resting at the Fourth," said Hinamori. "She's still unconscious." Hinamori turned towards the two vice-captains. "Kuchiki-fukutaicho, Kurosaki-fukutaicho," she said. "We've been instructed to assume control of our divisions and remain on standby until the captains return."

"Understood," said Rukia coolly, nodding her head.

"Mm," said Yuzu, her expression growing serious. She nodded as well.

"I'll leave it to you, Hinamori," said Ichigo, heading out the door.

"Hai, taicho!" said Hinamori with a nod as Ichigo passed her. Yuzu and Rukia exchanged nods, flash stepping out of the room simultaneously as Ichigo left.

* * *

Karin had only been back a few minutes when the summons from the soutaicho came. She had been in her quarters, cleaning the blood off her hands and changing into a fresh uniform when she caught sight of Kenpachi barreling through the Eleventh Division courtyard, his usual grin on his face as he jumped the wall completely and flash stepped away. She dropped her brush and finished tying her hair in its usual ponytail, knowing that _that _couldn't mean anything good.

"What's going on?" she asked Ikkaku and Yumichika as she stepped outside, walking over to them.

"An emergency captains meeting," said Ikkaku with a frown, his eyes still on Kenpachi's fading trail. "Something to do with Rangiku-san and the Tenth."

"Figured," said Karin with a shrug. "What are we supposed to do?"

"Officially?" asked Yumichika. He gave an exaggerated sigh, fanning himself with his hand. "We help the fukutaicho gather the men and keep the Division on standby."

"Standby means we might be called to fight," said Karin, folding her arms.

"Yeah," said Ikkaku with a grin. "Wonder if we'll get to see some action today."

Karin frowned. "Hope so," she said, scowling. "I want to go after Catalina."

"Will you be keeping the fight all to yourself, Karin-chan?" asked Yumichika, smiling slightly at her.

"Please," said Karin, rolling her eyes. "There'll be plenty to go around if it comes to that." She stepped back, glancing around. "The fukutaicho?" she asked.

"Up on the roof," said Ikkaku. "She's sulking about not being able to follow the taicho, but she'll be down any minute."

"Got it," said Karin. "I'll go get the guys in from the training yard."

"I'll head to the barracks," said Yumichika.

Ikkaku nodded. "I'll get the fukutaicho," he said, pointing his thumb in the direction of the roof.

The three of them nodded, heading off in three separate directions.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**A/N: **Why yes, Ichigo and Rukia are married. This actually ties into the plot, as you'll see in a few chapters. ^^


	3. The first blooms of spring

**A/N:** I promise action in the next few chapters. For now, though…fluffiness in chapters 3 and 4, since neither the Sixth nor the Eleventh are involved in the mission as of yet. Believe me, I'm excited to get them involved too, because I can't wait to show off Ongetsu's true powers. (And Jungetsu's too, but Jungetsu's true powers are sneaky and fun. Ongetsu's is just badass, haha. You'll also eventually hear the story about how Karin won the seat higher than Yumichika, straight from Yumichika's mouth because he's the only one that knows the true story. ^^)

**pikachuhats, **yes, Kohaku will be in Chasing. But Bleach has such a huge cast of characters that it's hard to include everyone in a single introduction chapter. Trust me, once things settle down with this whole Matsumoto thing, she'll make an appearance.

**FeatherxDreams, **no, I don't take classes. I'm actually taking a creative writing class this fall though. It'll be my first. I just imagine the scene, and then I write what I see in my head.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 3: The first blooms of spring**

* * *

The jigokucho that had carried the soutaicho's summons rested on his desk, flapping its wings lazily. Byakuya regarded it out of the corner of his eye, adjusting his scarf and making sure that Senbonzakura was secure in its sword belt. An emergency summons had not been called since the Winter War, but then again, it had been about that long since a captain or vice-captain of the Gotei 13 had been seriously injured by a known enemy during a mission.

The Winter War was almost a full twenty years ago, but it was not so long ago that Byakuya could forget its effects.

He frowned. The black butterfly had also carried instructions for the vice-captains of the Gotei 13, telling them to put their Divisions on standby and assume control. He was confident that his vice-captain had heard the summons. If she was at the Fifth, Hinamori-fukutaicho would have informed her of them. But his vice-captain had only been in her position for a month. She was untested in a crisis situation. As captain, it was his responsibility to train her in the proper way of assuming her duties.

He would assist her in preparing the men first, and then he would head out.

That in mind, he stepped outside of his office, heading down the hallway towards the barracks' main hall.

"Shirogane-san, please go gather those outside in the training yard, and tell them to wait in the barracks until further notice."

"Hai, fukutaicho," said his eighth seat, appearing briefly in front of his vice-captain before flash-stepping out of sight.

"Shiyougi-san, instruct the men to perform pre-mission inspections of their zanpakuto and gear."

"Hai, fukutaicho," said Shiyougi, heading for the door to the barracks where most of the men gathered.

"Koyanagi-san…" she began, rounding on his fourth seat.

Byakuya paused in the corner of the hallway, staring at the scene in front of him. Yuzu stood in the center of the room, the other seated officers bustling around her as they moved to gather the Division. There was a small amount of nervous energy around her, but her eyes were focused, and her orders clear and reasonable.

She was starting to look the part of a vice-captain of the Gotei 13…

He took a step back, moving out of sight before he flash-stepped out of the room, heading for the First Division.

* * *

"Then, we are decided?" asked Yamamoto, leaning on his staff as he stared at the assembled captains in front of him. The captains stood in two lines, facing him. None of them spoke, or expressed disagreement with the group decision.

"Very well."

Yamamoto's eyes opened, and he slammed his staff down on the ground.

"Dismissed!" he said.

There was a gust of wind, a blast of power, and then the room was empty again, the eleven other captains that had assembled disappearing into thin air, along with a single black butterfly making its way towards the Ninth Division.

The butterfly flew lazily through the air above Soul Society, its wings catching in the breeze as it glided forward, changing its course as it moved over the Sixth and headed towards the vice-captain of the Ninth.

A single white-gloved hand appeared, snatching it out of the air by the wings before disappearing from sight.

* * *

The cave was a temporary hiding place. It was not the spot that she would have chosen, but the walls of the cave were threaded through with Sekkiseki, the reiatsu-leeching stone blocking any attempt by their enemies to gain entrance. She sat with her legs folded neatly underneath her, the long skirts of her elaborate kimono spreading out like a puddle of water on all sides.

She barely looked up as a dark-haired Arrancar flash-stepped into view, his hands cupped protectively around a single black butterfly.

"What have you brought me, Siegel?" she asked, her voice soft and melodic as her eyes flicked towards him. The red-haired female Arrancar seated next to her looked up, interest evident in her gold eyes as her partner slowly unfolded his hands, revealing his prize. Sieg bowed deeply.

"Ojou-sama," he said. "I've intercepted communications from the Gotei 13. It appears they intend to send Soifon-taicho and a small group of people from the Second Division to infiltrate the site in Shibuya. The other Divisions have been told to stand down and await further information."

"Hmm…" She smiled faintly, her lips a bright blood red as she stared at the butterfly. "Yamamoto's playing it cautious, I see…" she said.

"Hai, ojou-sama," said Sieg.

"Release that thing," she said. "Allow it to deliver its message. We mustn't reveal our hand to them just yet."

"Hai."

Sieg bowed, disappearing from sight. The woman's eyes moved over to the Arrancar beside her, watching with some interest as she picked up her zanpakuto and slid it back into her sword belt.

"Catalina…" she said.

"Yeah?" asked Catalina, looking up.

"Go inform our allies of this new development. Tell them to lay low for now. And then come back. Keep yourself hidden. We'll let them run themselves ragged on this wild goose chase."

"Hai," said Catalina with a nod, disappearing from sight.

The woman ran one delicate hand over the katana that lay on the ground beside her, her fingers brushing lightly against the sheathed blade. _Soon…_she thought towards it. _You'll taste blood soon…_

_And we'll be reunited once again…_

* * *

The day after the incident dawned bright and clear, a calm day in the late winter that spoke of an early spring on the horizon. Kurosaki Yuzu slowly packed away her futon, getting to her feet and looking around her at the large room that was the vice-captain's quarters. There were still boxes from her old room in the corner that she needed to unpack. She had been meaning to get to that, but she hadn't been able to find the time to thoroughly sort through them in the month since her promotion.

She didn't think today would be that day either, considering the events of last night.

The captain's meeting had extended until almost sunset. It had been a tense four hours of waiting to see whether or not the Sixth would be sent out to deal with the situation. Finally, at sunset, Byakuya reappeared and announced that they could stand down, since the Second would start a preliminary investigation before any further action could be taken. After that, Byakuya had headed back to his manor, and the officers of the Sixth had stayed up practically all night after dinner, discussing the situation quietly amongst themselves as the rest of the men slept.

The other officers were worried. They all remembered the Winter War, and the confusion and terror it had brought to the Gotei 13. They talked about things like this not happening since then, and about how strong an Arrancar would have to be to take down a vice-captain as established as Matsumoto. Yuzu worried as well, for their reasons and for others of her own. She was especially worried about Rangiku. Yuzu had grown to care for Hitsugaya's vice-captain since first coming to Soul Society, and the thought of her lying unconscious in a room in the fourth was too much.

Yuzu had gone up against Catalina once before. She knew her strength. But that had been a full ten years ago. She had grown in strength since then. It was highly possible that the Arrancar had as well.

_**If you decide to fight, win…**_advised Jungetsu, the words appearing on the inside of her mind. _**If you decide to stand down, maintain your resolve.**_

_I have a feeling things may be more complicated than that, Jungetsu-chan…_said Yuzu, staring at the white-hilted katana that lay on the ground next to her bed.

She caught sight of Jungetsu's face in her mind, the face that looked so much like hers. There was a thoughtful frown on her zanpakuto spirit's face as she waved her hand, changing the words between them. They rippled like water, their form and shape becoming Jungetsu's reply.

_**The act of war can be elegant in its simplicity…**_she said. _**It only requires you to make a choice. To fight or not fight. If you fight, fight to the full. If you don't fight, do not. There is no compromise. **_

Yuzu did not respond. Jungetsu's frown deepened, and she went on.

_**I understand your desire to conceal me. To be concealed is in my nature. I also understand your desire to conceal the truth about those you hold in your heart. But I see the shape of our enemy. And I see that what has been hidden will soon have to be revealed.**_

_**I am your weapon, born from your soul. Use me as you see fit. **_

Jungetsu's image faded from her mind, the spirit retreating back into the inner world. The newly-appointed fukutaicho slowly got dressed, slipping out of her sleeping yukata and tugging on her black shikahusho. This late in the winter, the morning air was still cold and chilly, and she found herself grateful for the fact that her shihakusho consisted of two layers, and the top layer was a deep black that retained heat.

Jungetsu's words still rang in her mind, and she frowned, resting her hand on the hilt of the sword.

_I understand…_she thought quietly towards it, taking a deep breath. _But now isn't the time. _

_Sooner or later…we're both going to have to stop holding back._

She placed her hand on the sliding door, stepping outside into the hallway. The sun had just begun to touch the eastern horizon, reminding her that it was still early in the day. The vice-captain stepped outside, a frown on her face as she considered the tense quiet that had taken over the Sixth Division. Most of the people were still in bed from a long night last night, and those that were didn't seem to be in much of a mood for levity.

She walked past the courtyard towards the mess hall to get some breakfast, and there she paused.

The captain of the Sixth sat outside in the cold morning air, sitting in seiza on the porch. His eyes were fixed on the small garden in the courtyard, a cold expression on his face.

It was early. Almost a full hour earlier than the time he normally came in.

"Taicho?" she asked, causing him to look up. He frowned at her, and Yuzu almost took a step back from the ice in his gaze. She had seen that glare directed at other people, but very seldom at her. She didn't know if she could say they were friends, but they had a good working relationship. She couldn't think of anything she had done wrong…

"What is it?" he asked.

"I-It's just…" began Yuzu. She took a deep breath. "You're here early today…I was wondering why…"

"Is there any reason why I should not be early, Kurosaki?" he asked. "Especially considering yesterday's events? My place is with my Division during a time of crisis, as is yours."

"H-Hai, taicho," said Yuzu quietly, lowering her eyes to the ground.

Byakuya frowned at her for a moment, before turning his eyes back towards the courtyard. "Leave me be," he said. "Instruct the men not to stray too far from the barracks, in case the situation changes."

"O-Of course," said Yuzu. She bowed politely, closing the sliding door behind her and walking towards the mess hall, Byakuya's tone still at the back of her mind.

Had she done something wrong? All she could think of was the fact that she had called out to him and asked him a question. But she had done that before in the past…She frowned in thought, biting her lip.

No…she didn't think his anger was directed towards her…but…

"You alright there, fukutaicho?" asked Shiyougi. Yuzu looked up suddenly, realizing that he was standing in the door to his quarters, frowning at her. She hadn't even noticed he was there.

He placed one hand on the doorframe, leaning against it as he studied her. "You look a little down…" he said. "It's too early in the morning for that."

"Ah, I'm fine," said Yuzu quietly. "The taicho seems to be in a bad mood today, though."

"Is he?" asked Shiyougi again, a curious expression on his face. He stepped forward, peering into the courtyard. A look of realization slowly spread over him and he sighed. "Ah, no wonder," he said.

Yuzu frowned, turning around and looking out into the courtyard as well. "What is it?" she asked.

"That plum tree is in bloom again…" said Shiyougi. Yuzu frowned, looking out the window as well. Sure enough, bright pink buds had started to appear on the small plum tree in the courtyard. One of them, on the farthest branch, had opened, its five-petaled flower bouncing slightly in the light breeze that blew through the courtyard.

Shiyougi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Taicho always gets a short temper when that tree starts blooming," he said. "I offered to cut it down for him if he hates it so much but…" He shivered, holding his arms close to himself.

"…Let's just say I don't want to see that glare directed at me ever again."

"I see…" said Yuzu quietly, staring at the tree. She remembered the look on Byakuya's face as she watched it. He had seemed angry at her interruption, but before she interrupted him…

He had seemed quiet, contemplative…almost mournful…

…Like he was a million miles away, remembering something that cut him very deeply…

It was only in his eyes, though. The rest of his face had seemed as smooth and impassive as always. But the story in his eyes…

Suddenly, his reaction made sense. Yuzu had seen that look in her brother's eyes, in her father's eyes, and even her sister's. None of them liked to be interrupted at that time. She should have known better.

But she had never equated that look of grief with her stoic, regal captain. It just reminded her how little she truly knew about him…

"It should pass soon," said Shiyougi, patting her on the head. "Just stay out of his way until then, and you should be fine…"

"Hai, Shiyougi-san…" said Yuzu quietly. "Thank you."

"No problem," said Shiyougi with a shrug. "I'll tell the others to steer clear." He folded his arms, heading towards the mess hall.

Yuzu cast one last look out at the courtyard, eyeing her captain from the window. He was staring at the tree again, the anger seeming to have vanished from him as it was replaced by that same mournful look…

She shook her head, following Shiyougi down the path towards the mess hall.

* * *

Karin lay back on the rooftop of the Eleventh Division, her fingers laced behind her head as she stared up at the sky. Spring hadn't fully set in, so it was still a chilly day, but the roofing tiles caught sunlight and retained heat, so it was actually warm up here, besides the wind. Her gray eyes fixed on one of the white clouds above her, listening quietly to the usual noise of the Eleventh as the men joked with each other and occasionally started yelling arguments and taking bets.

It was never really quiet around here, not that she minded.

It just meant she had to get creative about sneaking away for _jinzen_, or knock a few heads until they left her alone.

The arrival of a white-haired shinigami next to her broke her train of thought, and she looked up, staring at Toshiro. Karin didn't sit up, looking back up at the sky.

"You know, if you stand here long enough, someone's gonna challenge you to a fight," she said.

"Are you offering?" he asked, sitting next to her.

She shook her head. "Not in the mood," she said. "And I'm not insane enough to go up against you. But a bunch of people are upset we didn't get called out last night. I know Zaraki-taicho's just itching for a match."

"You don't want me here?" asked Toshiro, glancing at her.

Karin sat up, shaking her head. "I do," she said, frowning at him. "How's Matsumoto?"

"Better," said Toshiro. "They say she's out of danger now. She should wake soon."

"Sou ka…"

"Soifon's team made contact," said Toshiro. "They've arrived in Tokyo. They'll send word when they find anything, and check in every two hours. We'll see where it goes from there."

"They won't find anything," said Karin. "If Catalina's smart, she's long gone. She'll know everyone's on her trail."

"It's not just Catalina they're hunting for," said Toshiro, sitting down next to her. "It's that human as well…"

"Figured…" said Karin, frowning. She paused, listening as loud voices seemed to rise up from the floor directly below them, interrupting their conversation. She raised her fist, banging five times on the roof.

"Oi!" she yelled. "Keep it down! We're talking up here!"

The voices hushed, dwindling down to angry murmurs. Karin sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Sheesh…" she muttered. "Next time, _I'm_ coming over to visit _you_."

"My Division isn't much better," he replied. "…Not when Matsumoto gets back on her feet anyway."

"True," said Karin, folding her arms.

"You seem to be growing into your role, though…"

"What? As Fourth Seat?" asked Karin, glancing over at Toshiro. She shrugged. "Ikkaku and Yumichika can be idiots, but I guess it's fun sometimes. Can't live with them, can't live without them?"

"Sounds about right…" said Toshiro quietly. He stood up, glancing over at the flags that marked the Tenth. "…I should head back to my Division."

"You'll keep me posted?" asked Karin, looking up at him.

"Of course," he replied. "I'll come by as soon as something changes."

"Thanks," said Karin, giving him a small smile. He nodded, looking back towards the Tenth and flash stepping away.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**


	4. Bound by truth

**A/N:** There's so many threads running simultaneously in Chasing. Hopefully it doesn't end up getting too chaotic. But for those of you complaining about the time skips in Phases, worry not. Chasing will all take place in a period of about one year and a half so, there won't be as many time skips.

We have two plots running simultaneously for this one—the romance plot and the action plot. Right now, I'm toying with the idea of the action plot ending first and the romance second, but I've considered having the romance end first and I've also considered having them end at about the same time. We'll see what happens.

No, to those asking, neither of the twins have bankai yet. But Yuzu isn't too keen on Jungetsu's shikai abilities either.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Bound by truth**

It had been four days since Soifon's team first left for the human world. In that time, Yuzu had managed to drop by the Fourth to visit Rangiku, as had Karin. The Tenth Division vice-captain had regained consciousness by the second day after her attack, but the twins' conversation with her had been cut short by a representative from the First arriving to collect her statement.

Since then, things at the Sixth had settled down into something that almost resembled normal. Everyone was still tense and waiting to hear back from the Second's team, but after the first day of anticipation, they had resumed their normal duties. They still talked about it, though, and Yuzu had walked in on whispered conversations about the situation more times than she cared to count.

On top of it all, there was Byakuya's strange mood. He no longer seemed to be in the foul mood he had been in on the first day after the attack on Matsumoto, but he still seemed more distant than usual. Yuzu would never say that he had been talkative, but she had managed to draw him into a conversation once or twice in the past. The past few days, though, he seemed to go through the motions of being a captain automatically, but it seemed like his mind was elsewhere. Twice, she caught him staring off into space when he thought nobody was looking.

It worried her somewhat, though she would never tell him that. Still, she followed Shiyougi's advice and stayed mostly out of his way, not asking him about it again.

On the fourth day, Yuzu returned from a trip to the Tenth to gather information from Hitsugaya about Soifon's status. It was about two hours after lunch, meaning the normal Division office hours would last for three hours yet. She walked back to the administrative office to deliver her report to Byakuya and found it empty.

The Sixth Division captain's desk was still there, along with the paperwork he had been completing earlier, but everything had been neatly sorted into different piles, like it normally was when he left for the day with paperwork still undone. She frowned, setting her status report on her own desk and leaving the office in search of her taicho.

It wasn't particularly odd for a captain or a vice-captain to vanish. There was always information to be gained from other Divisions, and occasionally a captain might wander off on his own to follow a lead or to test an idea. But this, coupled with Byakuya's strange mood over the past few days, was enough to get her suspicious.

It hadn't taken her long to find him. He was walking through the courtyard, heading purposefully for the Division gates. He looked as though he was heading home, and that was what she would think, if it wasn't for the fact that it was still early in the day, and Byakuya hardly ever left early. She wouldn't have really noticed back when she was just a seated officer, but he hadn't left early in all the time she had been vice-captain.

In fact, he often left late.

Her frown grew a little more concerned as she stared out the window, watching him.

"Is something wrong, fukutaicho?" asked a voice from behind her.

Yuzu turned her head slightly, glancing at her eighth seat—Shirogane Mihane. The young vice-captain shook her head. "Iie…" she said. "Nothing's wrong, Shirogane-san. I was just wondering why the taicho was leaving early."

Mihane frowned, following Yuzu's line of sight. She shook her head.

"Don't worry about it," she said, beginning to walk away. "It's the third of March. Taicho usually leaves early then. It has to do with his clan, I think. Some noble obligation…"

Yuzu stared at Byakuya as he walked away, heading down the road that led to the Division gate. And suddenly, everything seemed to click. The look on his face, his short temper lately, the mention by Shirogane-san that he left early every year on the third of March…

She understood. And the moment of understanding took her breath away, her eyes wide as she watched her taicho leave, walking alone underneath the mysterious plum tree.

Her hand curled into a loose fist at her chest and she took a deep breath, nodding once to herself and gathering her courage.

She walked quickly out of the Division doors, catching up with Byakuya just as she left the gates.

"Taicho, may I walk with you?" she asked as she reached him.

He frowned deeply, turning his eyes on her. They didn't have the same edge as they had had three days ago, although it was apparent that he was trying. It seemed like at this point, he was past anger. When he spoke, the disapproval was there, but mostly he only sounded tired.

"…I am attending to a private matter," he said. "…I do not see why you would want to."

He began to walk away. It was a polite, cold dismissal, of the type that she had been given lately. But she was a Kurosaki as well, and she could be stubborn when she wanted to be. She took a deep breath, aware that she could be pushing it too far. Aware that this would be a breach of their calm, professional relationship.

But willing to risk it anyway…

"…I recognize the look on your face," she said quietly. He continued to walk, although she knew that he could hear her. "…Nobody should have to visit a grave alone."

He stopped walking then, and turned his head towards her. Yuzu watched him, taking a deep breath as she waited for the other shoe to fall, waited for him to scold her, waited for him to tell her she was mistaken and continue on his way. But there was no anger in his eyes this time, no disapproval. Just a look…a single look that made her stop in her tracks…

_You have no idea_, it seemed to say, _of the burden I carry._

It was true. She didn't. But in that moment, she wanted to know…

Then he turned away, continuing to walk.

"Do as you wish, Kurosaki."

"Hai, taicho…" she said in reply, hurrying to catch up with him.

She said nothing as they walked, following him through Seireitei. Eventually, the path began to look familiar to her. It was the same path she took to Seireitei's inner circle, the ring in which the manors of the Four Great Noble Houses stood. She had walked this path many times, both to visit her grandfather and uncle in the Ankoujin Manor, and as an Academy student when she had trained with Byakuya. She didn't ask questions as they walked, not even when Byakuya led her through a small side gate in the wall of the Manor instead of going through the main gate like always.

Led was a strong word. He didn't so much lead her as he did ignore her as she walked beside him, allowing her to follow if she wished but not acknowledging her presence. Still, it was better than a dismissal, so she did follow. Yuzu kept her eyes on the ground as she walked, not turning to look at him. The whole way, though, her curiosity was burning, and her heart was pounding in her chest. She knew that she was about to find out some huge secret, one of the things about Byakuya that few people had ever seen…

They walked down a side path through the Kuchiki House's gardens for a bit, before crossing a small bridge and coming to what looked like a small, private cemetery. Byakuya led her through several rows of graves, and she caught the name Kuchiki on every single one of them. A relative, then. He was visiting a relative.

Suddenly, she felt like an intruder here, and she paused, feeling the urge to turn back. But, no, she had meant what she said. She wouldn't leave him alone now. She quickened her pace as he began to walk away, matching his stride as they reached the very end of the row.

Byakuya came to a stop in front of a small grave. It looked newer than the others, although it was hard to tell in Soul Society. Her perception of time had become so skewed since she got here. He stood in front of it, his eyes falling slowly on the headstone. Yuzu came to a stop beside him, turning to face it.

_Kuchiki Hisana._

For the first time since following him from the Division, Yuzu looked at him.

She had never seen her taicho look so grieved. The look in Byakuya's eyes was that of old, _old _pain…pain that had never had a chance to heal. They stood there in silence for a few long moments, Yuzu simply standing aside and giving him space.

When she spoke, it was in a hushed voice, so as not to disturb the quiet.

"Who was she, taicho?"

For a moment, it seemed like Byakuya wouldn't answer. She didn't repeat the question. She had already intruded enough by coming along. She wouldn't force him to tell her anything he didn't want to.

"…She was my wife," he said, just as her thoughts began to wander. "Rukia's sister. We were married for five years. She died seventy years ago."

"I…see…" said Yuzu quietly. She turned to face the small grave, the weight of Byakuya's admission settling in the air between them.

Five years…

She had been here for sixteen, and didn't look more than a year older than she had looked when she first arrived. Five years was nothing in Soul Society time. A blink of an eye, a drop in the water…

…To open your heart to someone and have them cruelly snatched away from you in so short a time…

Five years was enough time to fall in love without being able to see the truth of one's feelings, if you were Kurosaki Ichigo. Five years was enough time to open your heart, if you were as closed off as Kuchiki Byakuya. Five years…

Five years was enough time for a child to know her mother…

And suddenly Yuzu was five years old again, and she was pacing the living room, because her father had just run outside for an unknown reason and her brother and mother weren't home yet, and the TV was on in the living room and tuned towards the news, and she was so…scared…because she could tell something wasn't right, but she couldn't tell what it was. And Karin was crying, bawling her eyes out in the corner because she wanted Mama…and that was the last time Karin had ever cried…ever…

The memory of grief took her breath away, and she lowered her eyes to the ground…

She felt like she needed to say something, because the silence between them had grown tense, the air seeming to tingle with anticipation. She knew if she didn't say anything now, she would lose it, this brief glimpse at who Byakuya was inside, and he would close himself off further than he ever had.

So she said the first thing that came to mind.

"…I was five years old when my mother died…" she said quietly. "I thought it was the end of the world."

"Your mother?" asked Byakuya, frowning at her.

"Mm," said Yuzu, nodding once. "…Kurosaki Masaki." She pointed at the last kanji character in Hisana's name, her smile growing wistful and sad. "…They shared a kanji character actually. She wrote her name with the characters for truth and blossom. That's why I thought about it…"

"…How did she die?" asked Byakuya after a while.

"…She was killed by a Hollow…" said Yuzu quietly. "…She died protecting my brother…Of course, I didn't know that until much later…" That was another thing that had upset her when she found out about the shinigami. She had always thought her mother was murdered. That was what she had grown up knowing. She had hated being the last person in her family to know the truth…

"…What was she like?"

Yuzu sighed. "She was…warm," she said. "And kind…She was the thing that held our family together. When she died…"

She shook her head, as if by doing so she could chase the memories away. Dark days. Dark days for her father and for her brother, and certainly dark days for a five year old girl.

At five, her mother was her world. To see that light taken away, to watch as every other member of her family slowly hardened, withdrawing into themselves…

"…I see that I have overstepped my bounds," he said. "I apologize."

The apology surprised her, because she had never heard one from him before. But neither had she seen him like this. And those who knew grief understood it. She shook her head slowly.

"…It's alright," she said. "It was a while ago."

Not as long as he had been grieving though. Not seventy years…

Had he come here every year since then, like she and her family would visit their mother's grave? She couldn't imagine. It was longer than she had been alive.

"…I think…" she said softly, a faint smile on her face as she considered the grave. "…I think Hisana-san would be happy…to see that taicho still cared for her after all this time."

She heard him take a deep breath at her words, exhaling it slowly into the air.

"…You did not need to come here, Kurosaki…" he finally said.

"I wanted to," said Yuzu in response. "You said to do as I wished."

She knew the look of people who had closed themselves off because of pain. She had lived with three such people for most of her life. And in all honesty…she couldn't say that she was much different.

She'd only reached out instead of drawing in.

"Hm."

There were no words after that. The pair of them simply stood there in silence, watching the grave.

* * *

On the fourth of March, eleven captains and one vice-captain walked in to a jigokucho flying around their office, carrying the soutaicho's summons. The captains stood in two lines once again, facing each other as the soutaicho stood between them. Soifon was back in her place at the head of one line, next to Unohana-taicho. The captain of the Second had her usual stoic expression on her face, not giving any details on the mission she had just returned from.

"Soifon-taicho has informed me that her team was unable to find any trace of the Arrancar Catalina Falza or known associates in Shibuya or the Tokyo area as a whole," said the soutaicho. Ichigo frowned, glancing at the Second Division captain. He was impressed in spite of himself. He didn't think it would have been possible to search the whole Tokyo area in five days.

"However," continued Yamamoto, "In her report, she also informed me of a group of powered humans living in the Shibuya prefecture. It is a smaller group than Kusanagi, but one that has not had dealings with shinigami before. Is this correct, Soifon-taicho?"

"Hai," said Soifon, nodding. "This group calls themselves the New Dawn. It appears they are not aware of the difference between shinigami and Hollows, which explains their fearful reaction to Hitsugaya-taicho. Our group attempted to make contact, as per the soutaicho's orders, but they fled from us as well."

"They could have encountered Arrancar before," suggested Ukitake. "They might have thought Hitsugaya-taicho to be something similar."

"It's a possibility," said Soifon. "It's also another possibility that the Arrancar and the New Dawn may somehow be connected, and they were warned by their Arrancar allies to steer clear of shinigami. We were not able to get close enough to discover the truth."

"So, what are we going to do?" asked Renji, frowning.

"Soifon-taicho, what do you recommend?" asked Yamamoto.

"Infiltration by a member of the Gotei 13," replied Soifon. "A shinigami in a gigai would be able to pose as a powered human, and would be able to gain entrance into the New Dawn without alarming them. If they are truly ignorant of shinigami, they would not be aware of our ways, and so would not be expecting us. If they are not, it wouldn't matter either way."

"Agreed," said Yamamoto, nodding. "We are aware that these Arrancar possess Espada-level reiatsu. Therefore, I would like to send one of you, in case the situation takes a turn for the worse and battle becomes necessary." He frowned, looking over the assembled group. "Unfortunately, since this New Dawn has already seen Hitsugaya-taicho and Soifon-taicho, our representative can be neither of them."

"Right," said Ichigo, nodding once. "I volunteer. I'm still pretty familiar with the living world."

"Unfortunately, our representative cannot be you either," said Yamamoto, frowning at Ichigo. "Many of these new powered humans came about as a result of either contact with you or another shinigami, or from your battle with Aizen Sousuke. The risk that someone may recognize you is too high." He paused, looking around at the assembled group of captains.

"…Kuchiki-taicho," said Yamamoto, after a moment. "Can I leave this to you?"

"Hai, soutaicho," replied Byakuya coolly, nodding his head.

"You will of course have to submit to the power limiter," he said. "However, I give you authorization to remove it if you should enter into battle with an enemy of sufficient strength."

"Oi, wait a minute," said Ichigo with a frown, glancing across at him. "Are you sure about this? Byakuya hasn't stayed in the human world since, what, the 1800s?"

"I believe it was the early 1900s, and I fail to see how it makes any difference," replied Byakuya coldly, glaring at Ichigo from across the meeting room.

Ichigo scowled, folding his arms. "Of course it makes a difference," he said. "You'll be posing as a human, right? In Tokyo? You'll stick out like a sore thumb!"

Yamamoto frowned in thought, nodding at Ichigo. "…You have a point…" he said. "Very well. If you are amenable to it, Kurosaki-fukutaicho will accompany."

"That is acceptable," said Byakuya.

Ichigo's eyes widened at the implications of that.

"Hey, that's not what I meant!"

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**A/N: **Masaki and Hisana actually do share a kanji character. Masaki is written as 真咲 which means "true blossom" and Hisana is written as 緋真, which means "scarlet truth". Interesting little fact I noticed. ^^

More songs for our little ByaYuzu soundtrack. Owl City's Dementia actually fits pretty well. ("Big surprise, I'm a ghost keeping out of sight. Rub your eyes, you're a star in the summer night. This is love, this is war, it's insanity." and "Every hand let me go that I tried to hold. Every warm-hearted love left me freezing cold. Keep the pace just in case all the magic dies.")


	5. The flow of time

**A/N:** Sooo…does everyone remember Senbonzakura's reaction to buttons? Byakuya in the living world should be fun, haha.

FYI, I am horrible at describing outfits, so bear with me. Suffice it to say that Yuzu managed to make him look sophisticated but not overly formal.

The story is set about 19-20 years after the first events of Bleach, so it's about 2020 right now. I'm working under the assumption that nothing major will change as far as fashion goes in the next eight years. XD

By the way, I had that age discussion written out before people asked about it in reviews. Funny how things go.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 5: The flow of time**

* * *

Yuzu smiled in front of the mirror, tugging at the hemline of her white one-piece dress. It felt odd to be wearing clothes like this again after being in Seireitei for sixteen years, but it wasn't a bad feeling. If anything, it made her feel somewhat nostalgic. She tugged on a solid-colored jacket, aware that even though winter had passed, it was still fairly cold in Japan. The vice-captain of the Sixth frowned at her reflection in the mirror, tugging off the headband that someone had given her and instead pinning her hair away from her face with a clip.

Being in a gigai felt a little strange. Aside from the fact that her powers were limited by the camellia-shaped mark the Kidou Corps had placed on her when she and Byakuya had stepped through the gate, her shinigami abilities felt muted, hidden beneath an extra layer. Urahara had built their gigais specifically to allow them to use kidou, in order for them to fake having special abilities, but even then, the body she was in didn't really feel like hers.

It felt almost like an extra set of clothing—not horribly uncomfortable, but still somewhat restricting.

Still, it wasn't like they had much of a choice. She folded her arms, her frown going thoughtful as she went over the mission plan in her head.

Byakuya was in the next room, getting dressed. Once he was ready, the two of them would take the train from Karakura Town to Tokyo, where they would then attempt to make contact with the New Dawn, under the guise of being members of Kusanagi. If accepted, they would remain with the New Dawn for several days, attempting to gain information without seeming too suspicious. They would also stay on the lookout for any Arrancar activity, although that wouldn't be their primary focus. Another team of shinigami would be combing the area, keeping their distance from the two of them so as not to appear attached.

She grinned slightly, remembering Kohaku's farewell when she had stopped by the Third to tell her best friend what she would be doing.

"_Ooh, so you'll have you-know-who to yourself for a couple of days, huh? Here's your chance! Ganbare, Yuzu-chan! Fight on!" _

She shook her head. Kohaku could be so silly sometimes.

The sliding door behind her slid open. "Kurosaki, is this attire acceptable?" asked a familiar voice.

Yuzu looked over her shoulder, glancing back at her captain. Her eyes widened. Byakuya was dressed in formal attire from times long gone, in a white silk dress shirt, black waistcoat, black overcoat, pants, and tie. He wore a pair of white gloves with the outfit, and had forgone his kenseikan, instead replacing the hair ornaments with a black top hat. She stared. He even had a slim black cane tucked under his arm.

Yuzu sweatdropped. Suddenly, she knew why she had been asked to come along on this mission.

"What?" he asked with a frown as he looked at her. "Is something wrong?"

"A-Ano…taicho…" she said, walking over to him. "Um…when was the last time you were in a gigai in the living world?"

"…I believe it was around a century ago," he said. "It was shortly after my Academy graduation. Why? Is it relevant?"

"Ah…well…" She laughed nervously. "…Fashions have changed a bit since then…"

"Is that so?" he asked.

At her nod, his frown deepened. "I see," he said. "Humans can be fickle creatures. Very well. What is the appropriate attire for a gentleman in this day and age?"

Yuzu frowned in thought, tapping her finger on her chin. "Hmm…" she said. "E…to…it's Tokyo, so I think maybe a modern-day suit would be alright. We could always say you were a visiting businessman…but then people would ask you where you work…but I can't really see taicho in too casual clothes…um…You know what? One second."

She darted away, looking through the pile of clothes in the corner and pulling out various articles of clothing, draping them over one arm as she continued to search. Byakuya tilted his head slightly to watch her, a somewhat intrigued expression on his face. She returned, presenting him with a bundle of clothing. "Here," she said. "Try these. And…um…no top hat or cane."

Byakuya frowned in thought, accepting the clothes from her. He nodded once. "Thank you," he said, stepping back and closing the sliding door of the room.

When he emerged a few minutes later, she breathed a small sigh of relief. The early 20th century suit was gone, replaced by a white button-up shirt, a pair of business-style dark slacks, and a dark suit jacket. He'd buttoned the shirt all the way up to the top, probably in preparation for a tie. Yuzu frowned in thought, reaching forward before she had fully realized what she was doing and unbuttoning the first button.

He stared at her, but said nothing.

She stepped back, frowning in thought and studying Byakuya.

"It needs…something…" she mused. The Sixth Division fukutaicho snapped her fingers, an idea coming to her. "I've got it!" she said, running off to the pile of clothes again. She pulled out a white scarf, walking over to him and holding it out.

"Can I?" she asked. "I can't really picture you without it."

Byakuya frowned at her, but nodded once. "You may proceed," he said.

She nodded, getting up on her tip toes and slipping the scarf around his shoulders. The younger Kurosaki twin frowned in thought, looping the scarf around once and letting it rest there. For a moment, she was suddenly aware of how close they were. Yuzu lowered her eyes, to hide the slight flush on her cheeks, scolding herself mentally for thinking such thoughts and taking a step back as she finished.

"Hai," she said with a smile, taking a step back. "I think that works."

"Very well," he said. "I will send a message to confirm our status. Gather our gear."

"Hai, taicho," said Yuzu, smiling as he left.

Once the door closed behind him, she turned, heading over to the shelves where Urahara had told her she could shop for what they needed. Yuzu touched her fingers to her cheek, feeling the warmth there. Her heart was still beating quickly in her chest and she focused on picking up the items on her list. She felt suddenly restless and excited, her fingers still tingling slightly from where she had touched him.

She resisted the sudden urge to squeal into the nearest cushion like a schoolgirl, grinning to herself as she picked up several useful items and slid them into her pack. She grabbed a pair of Soul Candy dispensers, making sure to read the labels thoroughly about the personality of the artificial souls. Ichigo had told her too many horror stories about the trouble gikon could get into.

Once that was done, she had calmed down somewhat, and her heart was no longer racing. Yuzu shook her head, giggling slightly to release some of that nervous energy as she studied the shelf, picking up a large crystalline ball and staring at it. She poked at it, wondering what it did.

Urahara had the _weirdest _stuff in his store…

The door behind her slid open again.

"Kurosaki, what is our relationship?" demanded Byakuya.

_Crash! _

The glass ball slipped from her fingers, landing on the wooden floor and shattering into a million tiny pieces. Yuzu's eyes widened, and she whipped around to face him.

"_E—EH?" _

"Should they inquire, what shall we say our relationship is?" asked Byakuya again, seemingly unperturbed by her reaction.

"Oh." Yuzu let out the breath she was holding, relaxing slightly. She took in another breath slowly, trying to calm her racing heart as she tried to casually nudge the shards of glass under the shelf with her foot. "Ah—of course...hmm…we could always say we're coworkers."

Byakuya shook his head. "Unacceptable," he said. "We must at least have some sort of friendship or familial connection, for them to believe that you would follow me from Karakura to Tokyo."

_Or that you followed me…_thought Yuzu, sighing inwardly. She frowned, thinking it over. "How about something like this?" she asked. "You're a friend of my brother. When you decided to go to Tokyo, I wanted to come along, because I wanted to improve my skills. You agreed to take me with you."

Byakuya frowned, thinking the story over. "…That is acceptable," he finally said. "But must I be friends with your brother?"

"Er…sister?" offered Yuzu.

Byakuya gave her a flat stare in reply. Yuzu tried again. "…Father?" she asked hopefully.

Another flat stare, this one more intense than the last.

"U-Uncle?" she asked uncertainly.

"Very well," said Byakuya with a nod.

Yuzu let out a sigh of relief. _Sorry, Sei-jisama…_she thought.

"If that is settled, we should begin our mission."

"Hai, taicho," said Yuzu with a nod, slinging the bag with their supplies in it over her shoulder.

* * *

Karin jumped back, spreading her hands apart on Ongetsu's shaft and using it to block Houzukimaru's attack. The impact jarred her arms all the way up to her elbows, and she let out a grunt of pain as she landed on the ground, removing one hand and letting the other pull the scythe behind her. Ikkaku moved forward with a shout, spinning Houzukimaru over his head before bringing it crashing down towards her. She jumped out of the way lightly, sliding her hands down to the very end of Ongetsu's shaft and swinging the scythe in a wide arc. Ikkaku jumped back in time, catching the side of the blade with the back of Houzukimaru's.

A sharp whistle in their direction cut the fight short. Karin frowned, looking behind her.

Toshiro walked through the Eleventh Division grounds, heading purposefully towards her. She lowered Ongetsu, wiping the sweat from her forehead and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear as she turned to him.

"What's up?" she asked as he reached them.

"Madarame, I need to borrow your fourth seat," said Toshiro, turning towards Ikkaku.

The Eleventh Division third seat shrugged in reply. "We should start charging you by the hour," he joked.

Karin frowned. "Borrow me?" she asked. "What for?"

"You said if I was called out, you wanted in," said Toshiro, frowning as he glanced over at Karin. "The soutaicho wants me to provide back-up for Kuchiki-taicho and Yuzu. But seeing as my fukutaicho is still out of commission, I'm finding myself in need a partner. Are you in?"

Karin grinned. "Let me grab my stuff," she said, reverting Ongetsu to his unreleased form and sheathing the blade. "Two minutes." She ran off, heading towards the barracks.

* * *

Byakuya frowned, looking over his vice-captain's shoulder as she pressed her finger to the screen in front of her, the display changing accordingly. It seemed as though she was looking at…train schedules? His mind worked, watching as she pressed a red box in the corner of the screen, the screen automatically changing to reveal the schedule for the train from Karakura to Tokyo.

…So the screen detected which portions of it were being touched and changed accordingly. He wondered what would happen if he leaned over and pressed the other red box, marked CANCEL.

He considered it briefly, then decided against it, placing his hands in the pockets of his jacket to guard against the temptation.

"…Kurosaki," he said, looking around the station. "The train arrives in five minutes. When are you going to purchase the tickets?"

"I am purchasing the tickets, taicho," replied Yuzu, pressing a green button this time. He watched, intrigued, as she slid a small plastic card into a slot, and the machine printed out two tickets. Yuzu took one of the tickets, handing him the other.

"I see," he said to himself, taking the offered ticket. "So this machine has replaced the necessity of a human teller."

"Hai," said Yuzu with a nod. "We should wait on the platform. Other people are waiting in line."

"Of course," said Byakuya coolly, casting the machine one last look before following her out onto the platform. The group of girls behind him stepped forward. They looked to be about her age, and were dressed in the white and gray uniform that he knew belonged to Karakura High.

For some reason, they were looking in his direction and giggling.

Yuzu's frown deepened as she looked back at them, before stepping through the automatic doors. He wondered at his vice-captain's odd behavior. Did their presence disturb her?

Admittedly, they were rather loud. Perhaps that was it.

But the platform was just as loud as the ticket office had been, perhaps louder. He stood with his vice-captain as they waited on the platform for the train, frowning as he eyed the glowing red Japanese characters on the screen that told them when each train would be arriving. The last time he had been on a train, those had been written in pen and ink. Had things really changed so much in a century?

He watched the numbers solemnly as they ticked down from four to one, a large white train shooting into view. An automated voice in the speakers above reminded them that this was their train. He allowed Yuzu to lead the way, seeing as she was more familiar with the territory. She slipped through the sliding doors as they opened with a hiss, and he frowned, watching as they closed behind him again.

The doors opened and closed without any manual effort. It was much like the Senkaimon's sliding doors, now that he thought of it.

"Taicho, over here," called Yuzu, glancing back at him from further down the corridor.

He looked away from the doors, following her into a small side compartment. This was something he was familiar with, although the overall appearance of the train compartments might have changed a bit since he last saw them. She lifted her luggage into the overhead compartment, and he did the same with his, closing it so that the bags would not fall out. As he watched, his fukutaicho collapsed into one of the seats with a tired sigh. He frowned, slowly moving to sit across from her.

"Are you ill?" he asked.

"What?" asked Yuzu, frowning as she looked up at him. She shook her head, realization dawning on her face. The train began to move, the scenery flying by at an amazing speed. It was almost as fast as shunpo, but not quite. Still, it was admirable for its consistency. "Oh, no. I'm not sick…I'd just forgotten…"

"Forgotten what?" he asked.

"How much attention you'd draw," she replied.

He frowned at her, looking down at the clothes he was wearing. "You said these clothes were appropriate…"

"Ah—they are—don't get me wrong!" she said. "It's not the clothes. It's…um…well, it's just you." Her face colored slightly as she spoke, and she glanced out the window.

"I see," said Byakuya. He was used to stares. By now he had simply learned to tune them out. They weren't worth his time. "So even in this present day, they still recognize my nobility?"

"…You…um…you could say that…" said Yuzu. "I mean, I guess just the way you carry yourself makes people think you're someone important…"

"Of course," he replied stiffly. "If you are in a position of authority, you must act the part."

"Hai, taicho…" she said quietly. The scenery continued to pass by, city giving way to forest, and Yuzu changed the subject. "…Um, so…how long has it been since you've been in Tokyo?"

"A while…" said Byakuya with a shrug.

"Was it already called Tokyo then?" she asked.

He gave her a flat look. "…I am not that old, Kurosaki," he said.

"Ah—sorry," said Yuzu with a nod. She frowned, twisting her hands around in her lap. "So…how old _are _you?" she asked.

He frowned, considering the question. After a certain amount of time, counting age exactly became a useless venture, especially since it meant so little in Soul Society. "…A little over two hundred," he said.

"Oh, I see," said Yuzu. She frowned for a moment, as if thinking about it, then smiled, shaking her head. "Gomenasai," she said. "I guess I can't imagine it. It just seems like so much time to me…I can't really relate it to anything."

"…Older than your cousin, younger than your father," he responded. "…Younger than Shihouin Yoruichi, by a small amount."

"I see…"

"Had you been born in Soul Society, you would perhaps be a little under or over one hundred and fifty years old," said Byakuya. "…It would depend on your bloodline and your reiatsu. Some people simply age slower. It is reasonable to expect that you would age at a somewhat slower pace, considering your Ankoujin heritage."

"Sou ka…" said Yuzu, thinking it over. Her eyes widened. "Wait a minute, how old is my father then?"

"How old did he say he was, when you were younger?" asked Byakuya.

Yuzu frowned. "…The year we died, he said he was forty-eight," she said.

"…He is probably drawing close to four hundred, if he hasn't already passed that mark. He was an Academy student when I was a child."

"Wow," said Yuzu. "That old?"

"Your cousin is easily over a century old," said Byakuya with a frown. "Rukia is at least one hundred and seventy. You should not be surprised."

"The soutaicho must be ancient," mused Yuzu, thinking out loud.

"…He is old," agreed Byakuya. "Even for shinigami. I do not know the exact number, but he was soutaicho in my grandfather's time."

"I guess I really am still getting used to things," she said with a smile.

"The three of you _are _remarkably adaptable," Byakuya conceded. "For what it's worth."

"It's easier, because I have family with me," she said, smiling as she glanced out the window. "But if you're over two hundred, you were alive when Edo became Tokyo."

"Yes, but I was a child then. Noble children are not permitted to access the living world. Their powers are large enough to attract Hollows, but they do not yet have the ability to defend themselves. It is too dangerous."

He frowned as he spoke, watching her. It was easy to forget on some days that had things played out differently, the three Kurosaki children could have been members of the Ankoujin Clan. He imagined they knew all about the dangers of children with high spiritual power remaining in the living world…

"If you want to know about ancient Japan, ask your father or grandfather," he said. "They would know." He paused, looking out the window and watching the scenery go past. "Once we arrive, it will be nighttime. The Tenth Division has provided us with accommodations. We will rest and begin our search tomorrow."

"Hai," said Yuzu with a nod, turning to look out the window as well.

* * *

Rukia frowned as she watched her husband cross into her field of vision for what seemed like the hundredth time, looking up at him from over the book she was reading.

"Ichigo, _please _sit down," she said. "You're making me nervous!"

"Yuzu and Karin are both out in the living world with that Arrancar out there, and Yuzu has a power limiter on," replied Ichigo, frowning at her. "How the hell am I supposed to relax?"

"They'll be _fine_," said Rukia, putting down her book. "They're with Hitsugaya-taicho and Nii-sama! So please, sit down and stop wearing a hole in our floor."

Ichigo gave her a flat look. "…How is _that _supposed to help me relax, exactly?" he asked.

Rukia gave an exasperated sigh. "You're impossible," she said, getting up. "I'm going to bed, because _some _of us have Divisions to run in the morning. You're welcome to join me, if you promise not to talk about how worried you are until tomorrow."

Ichigo watched her stalk off, a somewhat thoughtful frown on his face as he considered that.

* * *

Urahara Kisuke sat on the porch outside of his shop, running two small green balls through his fingers. There was a grin on his face as he watched the road in front of him.

Behind him, a dark-skinned woman leaned forward, her hands on her hips as she looked down at what he had. A sly smile appeared on her face. "Kisuke," she said. "Don't tell me that those are the gikons from the dispensers that Yuzu took with her."

Urahara grinned, tilting his head slightly and looking up at Yoruichi. "Alright," he said. "I won't tell you."

"So…" said Yoruichi, folding her arms. "What's actually in their Soul Candy dispensers?"

"Hmm, I wonder," said Urahara, laughing behind his paper fan.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**Omake: **

"Yuzu seemed inordinately pleased at being asked to go undercover with Kuchiki-taicho," commented Masaryu, the day after they left, glancing at the brown-haired shinigami across from him as he took a sip of tea.

"Oh, believe me," said Kohaku, with a grin, lying back on the porch of the Fifth Division and looking up at the ceiling. "She'd probably be happier if it was a different kind of undercover."

Masaryu choked, the color rising to his face as he spit out the tea he was drinking. "I-IWASE!" he yelled, turning towards her. "A-Are you insinuating that my cousin has feelings f-for—?"

Kohaku smiled slyly, sitting up and folding her arms. "First lesson about women, Masa-chan. There are some things a girl will tell her best friend that she won't even tell her family." She unfolded one of her arms, patting his arm twice with the back of her hand. "Not that you would know, of course."

Masa blinked in surprise, staring openly as Kohaku jumped to her feet. "Well, I'm off," she said, stretching. "Promised to help Kira-fukutaicho with some things." She waved goodbye, walking away.

Masa blinked at her for a moment.

"I-IWASE!" he called. "…K-KOHAKU! Don't walk away from me! Answer the question!"

Kohaku rested her hands on her hips, throwing her head back and laughing as she flash stepped away.

"KOHAKU! GET BACK HERE!"


	6. The mission begins

**A/N:** Some references in this chapter to a little Square Enix video game, also about dead people and Reapers. ^^ Some of you might know it. And I couldn't resist. XD

The plot should pick up soon. I'm torn between more social scenes or more plot…and I think I'm just going to have to give this arc more space in my outline. Expect Chapter 8 or 9 to be the last chapter in this arc, and then we'll have about two chapters of downtime and get right back into the swing of things. ^^

I'm thinking Chasing will be a bit longer than Phases at this rate, since the introductory arc is running for 10 chapters already. Maybe not too much longer though…

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 6: The mission begins**

* * *

The view from her hotel room was beautiful, showing a carpet of lights beneath her and Tokyo Tower shining brilliantly in the distance. She didn't even want to think about how much their accommodations must have cost, but she was fairly certain that they were well over the Tenth Division's normal living world mission budget. Leave it to Byakuya, she supposed. If he had to travel, he would do so in style.

…Unfortunately, this being Japan in the 21st century, an expensive hotel room meant it was filled with technology. Yuzu sighed as she heard angry beeping sounds coming through the connecting door, mentally running the list down in her head. Let's see…she had explained the TV, the shower, the fridge, the microwave, the telephone…what was she missing?

…Right. Air conditioning.

Maybe they should have stayed at an old-style inn instead…

She knocked on the connecting door. The angry beeping sound continued, followed by the sound of a rush of wind.

"Enter," said Byakuya. Again, she had to hand it to him. He still sounded as cool and collected as always.

"Taicho…?" she asked, opening the door.

Yuzu blinked, and took a step back, stifling a giggle behind the sleeve of her dress. He must have been looking right into the vent when the air conditioner started going crazy, because his normally neat black hair was tangled and twisted in all directions. He had a decidedly unamused frown on his face though, as he watched her.

"Kurosaki, why is this infernal device continuing to beep?" he asked.

"It's because you set it to something over its limits," said Yuzu, stepping forward. "Here, this is how it works. You set the temperature here—." She raised it to something reasonable. "—and the machine pumps out air until the room is at the temperature you want it to be."

He frowned, seeming to relax somewhat. "…I see. How does it know what the ambient temperature is?"

"It has a built in sensor," replied Yuzu. "It senses the air temperature and gives that information to the computer."

"Hm. Clever." He turned his attention away from the machine, looking back at her. "At any rate, we should meet to discuss our plans for tomorrow. Soifon-taicho has left us with a list of locations frequented by members of the New Dawn." His eyes moved from her to the mirror against the wall, and his frown deepened, noticing his disheveled appearance.

"Ten minutes?" asked Yuzu.

"That should be sufficient," he said. "I will knock on your door."

Ten minutes later, Yuzu looked up as three distinct knocks sounded from the connecting door. She sat up on the couch, putting away the magazine she had been reading. The TV was on at a low volume, showing an episode of a drama that she had stopped paying attention to five minutes ago. "Come in," she said, scooping the remote off the coffee table and turning it off.

The connecting door opened, and Byakuya appeared, looking properly dignified now. He still looked a lot more casual than she had usually seen him, although that was probably because she had vetoed the sleeping yukata he had tried to pack with him, and he was no longer wearing his kenseikan or his scarf. His dark hair fell unhindered around the side of his face, making him look younger somehow and less…unreachable.

She couldn't say she minded the effect…

Yuzu slid her legs out from under her so that she was sitting properly on the couch, watching as he dropped a small stack of papers onto the table in front of her. She picked them up, scanning them. There were about three in total, and they were mostly notes from Soifon and her team about the locations in which probable New Dawn members have been spotted.

Byakuya spread a map of Tokyo out on the coffee table, taking a seat in the armchair next to her.

"Soifon-taicho managed to narrow down the most likely location for the New Dawn's hideout," he said, picking up a pen and encircling a small area of Shibuya. "It looks as though they tend to meet in a café near the park."

"A café?" asked Yuzu, frowning slightly.

"She did mention that they were mostly young adults and high school students," commented Byakuya. "The same age group as Kusanagi."

"People who would have been born shortly after the Winter War…" said Yuzu.

"That is correct," said Byakuya. "However, the distance concerns me. The Winter War should not have had such strong effects this far from Karakura."

"Are you thinking that something other than the Winter War gave these people their abilities?" asked Yuzu.

"If it was a lone one or two humans, I might say that they had simply migrated from Karakura to Tokyo at some point," said Byakuya. "That is certainly not an impossibility. In a century or so, if this continues, we may see more widespread instances of unexplained reiatsu growth in children. However, for there to be enough for these people to form an organization…I would say that perhaps something else occurred."

Yuzu frowned in thought, hugging one of the couch cushions to herself as she stared at the corner where the coffee table met the carpet.

"...Arrancar," she said quietly after a while.

"Hmm?" asked Byakuya, looking up at her.

"Just thinking," said Yuzu, turning towards him. "If there truly are Arrancar with Espada level reiatsu hiding in Tokyo, it's entirely possible that their reiatsu might have caused this."

Byakuya stared at her for a moment, before nodding. "Yes," he said. "That was my thought as well." He stood up, a frown on his face. "If that is the case, it is possible that these Arrancar may already have reached the New Dawn. Rest. Tomorrow, it is very likely that we may be walking into enemy territory."

Yuzu nodded, leaning over and beginning to gather up the papers.

* * *

"So…the café is…here…?" asked Yuzu with a frown, looking up from the map and studying the street signs.

"Kurosaki, are you quite sure you're reading that map correctly?" asked Byakuya, standing next to her. He glanced over her shoulder.

"Um…pretty sure, taicho…" said Yuzu her frown deepening as she looked up at the signs again. "Maybe…"

He sighed, taking the map from her and holding it up. After a while, he lowered it, studying the same signs.

"…We are one block too far to the east," he said, handing the map back to her.

"Ah…hai…" said Yuzu, lowering her eyes as she took the map back. "Sorry…"

"An elementary mistake," said Byakuya. "Make sure to correct for it in the future."

"Hai…"

They began to walk, heading down the right path. It was early morning, and the streets of Shibuya were already filled with people. They had been filled with people all into last night, making Byakuya wonder if the city ever had a quiet hour. The last time he had been here, it had been busy, but there had not been much of a "night life" to speak of.

He stopped at the street corner as the lights changed, having been instructed that that was in fact the proper thing to do in this situation. As they rounded the street corner, he expanded his senses so that he could note the slightest change in reiatsu. He felt it again from behind him, a small twinge over his shoulder.

It was the same thing he had been feeling since earlier that day, when they left the hotel. Apparently, his vice-captain noticed it as well, because her shoulders tensed, her hand slowly drifting towards where her zanpakuto would be, had she not been in a gigai.

The next stoplight was crowded. Byakuya used that to his advantage as he stepped closer beside her, so that he could whisper without being overheard. He kept his eyes trained straight ahead.

"You were right, Kurosaki," he said in a low voice. "We are being trailed."

"Hai, taicho," she replied, also keeping her eyes fixed on the street light. "…Could it possibly be our backup?"

"Unlikely," said Byakuya. "Our backup watches from above. The skyscraper to your left."

Yuzu's eyes moved towards the large building as the lights changed. "You can still sense them from all the way up there?" she asked, impressed.

"Of course," said Byakuya. "It is not an incredibly impressive feat. You simply require more training. Their reiatsus are known to me."

"What should we do?" asked Yuzu, frowning.

"…Follow my lead," he replied.

He broke away from the crowd, darting off into an alleyway. Yuzu followed him without hesitation, walking briskly and attempting to match his stride. The reiatsu presence broke off after them, following them into the alley.

As they reached the other side, Byakuya slipped out of sight, muting his reiatsu so that it would be difficult to find. His fukutaicho hid on the other side of the alley's mouth, and he was pleased to feel her doing the same. They waited for a few tense moments, and then a dark-haired man emerged from the other side of the alley.

Immediately, the two of them moved, emerging from their hiding places. Byakuya moved first, moving to attack, as Yuzu followed his lead. Their pursuer immediately threw up his arms, taking a step back.

"Wait, wait, wait!" he yelled. "I'm an ally!"

Byakuya frowned, pausing midway through his strike. Yuzu had her hand up in front of her face, the beginnings of a kidou position. The man straightened up, exhaling quickly through his mouth. Byakuya noticed that one of his hands rested on a large plastic water bottle that was strapped to the end of his pack. He looked to be about twenty years old, with dark hair and green eyes.

Byakuya didn't recognize him. Beside him, his vice-captain frowned in thought.

"I'm with Kusanagi," explained the man. "The boss sent me down here to help you guys out…and to find out some information about the New Dawn."

Yuzu's frown deepened. Her eyes widened in realization, and she stepped forward. "Yasui-kun?" she asked.

He grinned. "I'm glad you remember me, Kurosaki-san," he said. "I was worried you wouldn't, since I was still in high school when you last showed up."

"It's been a while," agreed Yuzu. She turned towards Byakuya. "Taicho, this is Yasui Tetsuya. He's one of the founding members of Kusanagi. Yasui-kun helped me and Karin when we got sent on that living world mission four years ago. Yasui-kun, this is—."

"Kuchiki Byakuya-taicho, of the Sixth Division, right?" asked Yasui. "I read the report." He offered Byakuya a polite bow. Byakuya frowned at him, but nodded once.

"I hope you don't mind," said Yasui. "Don't mean to intrude. I just wanted to come with you when you made contact. To be honest, we're really interested about these New Dawn guys too."

"Don't get in our way," said Byakuya coolly.

"You got it," said Yasui, nodding. The café was in sight now, and the three of them continued to walk, heading towards it. "Although…" he added, stretching his hands over his head. "Since the living world is kind of our turf, maybe that should be my line."

Byakuya's frown deepened, but he said nothing.

The café was a small establishment in the middle of the block, surrounded by busy stores on either side. It didn't seem to have a lot of business, and thus would have been very easy to overlook. He reached the door first, absently holding it open for his vice-captain. She paused in surprise for a moment, turning to look at him, but quickly slipped through into the interior of the café. He followed without a word, holding the door just long enough for Yasui to catch it.

The first thing he was aware of upon entering was the sudden surge of reiatsu. He hadn't noticed it outside, but as soon as he stepped inside, the atmosphere of the room had changed. A small group of people sat at one of the tables, frowning as they looked up at them. He and Yuzu were both allowing some of their reiatsu to slip through their gigais, to lend credence to the idea that they were powered humans and also to allow Hitsugaya-taicho and the other Kurosaki to track them.

It did not go unnoticed.

One of the women in the group stood up, facing them. Her hair was long and brown, tied up in an elaborate bun. She wore a thin pair of glasses, and her eyes were a light hazel. She was dressed professionally, and carried herself with an air of authority.

"…Can I help you with something?" she asked.

"We're looking for the head of the New Dawn," said Byakuya, watching her reaction.

She didn't so much as blink. "_I'm _the head of the New Dawn," she said. "Kiyomizu Hanako. Who are you?"

"Members of Kusanagi, in Karakura Town," said Byakuya, smoothly transitioning into their prepared role. "It's a group quite similar to yours. We're here to discuss the possibility of a long-term partnership with the New Dawn."

Hanako folded her arms. "What you're really trying to say is you're here to scope us out," she said quietly. Her eyes traveled across the assembled group, before looking back at them. "We've heard a little about Kusanagi." The way she said it made Byakuya wonder exactly who her information source was. He saw Yuzu tense out of the corner of his eye, although her expression remained polite and somewhat deferent.

"What are your names?" asked Hanako, turning back towards them.

"Takegawa Yasushi," said Yasui before either of them could speak. The implication was clear. This was not a safe place for them to use their real names. Byakuya's eyes drifted over the chrysanthemums in the flower beds outside of the café.

"Kikuchi Sojun," he said, hoping Yuzu would also get the same message.

"I'm Kudo Yuzuki," she said quietly, biting her lower lip. He felt a small sense of relief as he turned back towards Hanako. She folded her hands in front of her, bowing politely. "Ano…pleased to meet you."

She continued to frown suspiciously at them, but if she had any reason to believe they were lying, she didn't show it. She nodded once. "Takegawa, Kikuchi, and Kudo…" she repeated. Her expression softened a little, and she relaxed. "Alright…I'll bite. To be honest, it would be nice to have some backup from Karakura Town. But now isn't really a good time to talk." Hanako gestured at the assembled group and at the clock on the wall. "It's a business day," she said. "We have classes to attend and places to be. If the three of you want to stop by our headquarters later tonight, we can hold a general meeting."

"That would be fine," he replied in response.

Hanako pulled a notepad out of her purse, writing something down and tearing it off. She folded it, handing it to him. "It's the address," she said. "That should take you to an apartment building in the downtown area. It's the home of one of our founding members. We'll meet there. It's as good a place as any. Say…seven?"

He nodded. "Then, I suppose we'll see you there."

"See you," she said with a nod. The other members of her group watched quietly as the three of them left the café.

Once they were more than a block away, Yuzu let out the breath she was holding. Yasui sighed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Phew," he said. "That was tense. You alright there, Kurosaki-san?"

Yuzu nodded once. Looking at her now, her face seemed pale, and she wore a troubled expression. "I'm fine," she said. "Just a little worried, that's all…Something about her seems off."

"Agreed," said Byakuya. He tried to think back to whether or not he could sense Hanako's reiatsu. Certainly the other humans around her were leaking it like sieves, but hers…He put the thought out of his mind. It was something to look into later, but he couldn't do anything about it now.

"…Well, I guess we'll find out tonight," said Yasui. "I've got stuff to do, so I'll meet up with you guys at around six. Does your hotel sound alright?"

Yuzu frowned, glancing at Byakuya for confirmation. He nodded once and she smiled, turning back to Yasui. "We'll be there," she said. "Thank you."

"No problem," he said. "Hey, you guys should check out Tokyo while you're waiting. There's a lot to see."

"We might do that," said Yuzu, nodding. He watched as Yasui walked off, rounding a corner and disappearing from sight. Once he was gone, Yuzu sighed, staring at the ground. He glanced in her direction.

"What is it?" he asked.

She shook her head. "It's Kiyomizu-san…" she said. "I don't know what it is…but Jungetsu isn't too happy about her…"

"Jungetsu?" asked Byakuya with a frown.

"Mm," said Yuzu. "She just told me to be careful, that's all."

"Certainly, there is something suspicious about her," said Byakuya. "Some caution would be wise. We will have to stay on guard tonight."

"Yeah…" said Yuzu. She frowned, turning towards him. "Kikuchi Sojun?" she asked.

"Sojun was my father's name," he replied. "It was the first thing that came to mind. The surname came when I saw the flowers blooming outside of the café. _Kiku_ for chrysanthemum, _chi_ for earth. It is similar enough to my name that, should someone forget and call me by my surname, I can say that they simply misspoke."

"Sou ka…" said Yuzu. She smiled slightly. "I guess you can't really get away from flowers," she commented.

"I believe you are not one to talk, _Yuzuki_."

"It was the first name that came to mind," said Yuzu with a smile. "And it's similar to my own, so if someone overhears anyone calling me by my name, I can say it's a nickname. I guess we were both thinking along the same lines."

"Indeed…"

* * *

"There they go again," said Karin, leaning over the top of the skyscraper and watching as the three of them exited the café. She handed the binoculars back to Toshiro, who was standing beside her. The two of them were dressed in their shinigami uniforms. They had been instructed not to follow too closely, but instead to appear as though they were regular shinigami on patrol.

"Aa," said Toshiro. He folded his arms. "Where do you suppose they're headed now?"

"I don't know," said Karin, pulling her phone out of the pocket in her sleeve. "I'll send Yuzu a text message."

"Ask her if they're done for the day," said Toshiro. "I'd like to go looking for that Arrancar."

"You and me both," said Karin, stretching. "Stalking them is getting a little old." She flipped the phone open, beginning to text. Toshiro came up to stand beside her, looking out over the city.

The air around them seemed to shift, an unfamiliar reiatsu entering the area. Karin tensed, her and Toshiro looking towards the rooftop door at the same time. It opened slightly, and a young man poked his head out, looking at them. He had short black hair, and was dressed in a high school uniform. Toshiro's eyes widened in recognition.

"You…" he said.

Karin placed a hand on her zanpakuto. "Toshiro, you know this guy?" she asked.

"He's the one I chased after the day Matsumoto was injured," replied Toshiro. He scowled, and Karin could feel the air around them drop in temperature by a few degrees. "Who are you? State your name."

"Wait!" said the stranger, holding his hands up. "I'm not here to fight you. I-I have some information about the New Dawn."

The two shinigami frowned, staring at the man.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**A/N: **Yuzuki is a Japanese name written as 優月meaning "gentle moon". However, the 'yu' character in Yuzuki can also be translated as 'superior' or 'actress'…not that Yuzu was thinking of the other meanings at the time. Kikuchi means 'chrysanthemum earth' which explains why Byakuya was looking at the chrysanthemums in the café. He can't escape from flowers, can he?

* * *

**Omake: **

"Taicho, can I ask a question?" asked Yuzu as they ate dinner in the restaurant on the first floor of the hotel.

Byakuya frowned from across the dining table at her. "What is it, Kurosaki?" he asked.

"Why do you dislike my father?"

Byakuya paused in the middle of picking up a piece of food, his chopsticks resting on top of the dish.

"_Alright, elders, I am now calling this meeting to order!" _

_A young Byakuya paced in front of the collection of figurines and stuffed animals, an overly serious frown on his face. If he were human, he might have been seven or eight years old, but as it was, he was just a little over twenty. He was dressed in a dark gray yukata, his dark hair falling just under his ear. _

"_Oi, Byaku-chan!" _

_The door to his sliding room slammed open, a dark-haired Academy student poking his head in. He grinned. "What are you doing in here by yourself? Come outside! Let's play!" _

_Byakuya frowned at the heir to the Ankoujin Clan. "Get out of my room! I'm in an important meeting!" _

"_Are you playing with your dolls?" asked Isshin, staring at the stuffed animals. _

"_They're not dolls! They're the elders of the Kuchiki Clan, and I'm the head!" _

_Isshin barked out a laugh. "Elders, huh? Hey, this one looks just like Tatsu-san!" He reached out, grabbing one of the teddy bears by the head and lifting it up. _

_The fabric ripped, the head tearing straight from the body. Byakuya's eyes widened, and he took a step back as Isshin frowned, staring at the teddy bear's head and shaking it. "Aw…looks like it ripped. Sorry about that, Byaku-chan." He waved the head at Byakuya, who took another step back, his eyes growing wider. _

"_MAAAAAAMMMAAAA!" he yelled, running down the hallway at full speed. _

* * *

"_Really?" asked the female Academy student, her eyes shining. _

"_Of course," said Byakuya, with a nod and a smile, also dressed in his blue Academy uniform. His long black hair was tied up in a high ponytail. "I've been fighting Hollows since third year. It's not that hard." _

"_Oh, wow, you're so cool, Kuchiki-kun!" she replied with a bright smile. Kaede was the prettiest girl in the Academy at the time, and Byakuya had finally had a chance to talk to her. _

"_Do you know your zanpakuto's name yet?" she asked. _

"_Yes," said Byakuya. "His name's Senbonzakura." _

"_Wow, already?" she asked, her eyes wide. "That's amazing!" _

"_Well, I'm going to be the head of the Kuchiki Clan, so I have to train hard. I'll take my grandfather's place as captain of the Rokubantai someday too!" _

_Kaede looked at him with stars in her eyes, and he grinned inwardly. Alright, time for step two of his brilliant plan…_

"_Byaku-chan!" Byakuya twitched as a dark-haired shinigami came into view, taking a step back before he could be tackled. The insufferable Ankoujin had something in his hands that he immediately presented to him. It looked like a black robe…_

…_No…was it…_

…_It couldn't be…_

"_Look what I found helping your old man clean out the storage shed! It's your old baby kimono! Isn't it so cute?" _

_Byakuya's eyes widened in abject horror. Kaede immediately stepped forward and grabbed it, giggling as she spread it out. "Oh, wow, it's so small. Kuchiki-kun, you must have been so cute!" _

* * *

_Hisana was beautiful in her wedding kimono. Her eyes shone with a light like the sun, and Byakuya was entranced by her. He couldn't believe that after all of the arguments, all of the meetings between him, his grandfather, and the Kuchiki Clan elders, he could finally be allowed to have her. Her hand in his and the small smile on her face as they made their way out to the reception hall seemed to make it all worth it._

"_Oi, there's the bride and groom!" yelled a drunk Ankoujin Isshin as they walked in, still in his shihakusho and captain's haori. Byakuya clenched his fist. Why, oh why did they have to be equal in status as heirs to their clan? He could have done without inviting him? _

"_I gotta hand it to you, Byakuya. Hisana-chan's a real beauty," said Isshin, patting him on the back. He twitched with each pat. _

"_Hey, Hisana-chan! Let me know if you ever wanna hear stories about your husband here." _

"_Stories…about Byakuya-sama?" repeated Hisana, a small frown on her face. Byakuya's hand tightened briefly around her arm. He knew he couldn't tell her not to talk to Isshin here, because it would be rude of him. _

_Curse that insufferable Ankoujin, holding etiquette over his head! _

"…_Of course!" said Isshin, grinning. "Let me tell you what Byakuya did to his mom's flower garden when he was little. It's hilarious!" _

_Byakuya clenched his fists tightly, a scowl on his face as he watched the Tenth Division captain lead his new wife away, continuing to talk. _

He picked up a small piece of fish with his chopsticks, lifting it to his mouth.

"No particular reason," he replied coolly.


	7. The melodies in our hearts

**A/N:** Bleach Beat Collection is an awesome thing, haha. This chapter is probably the closest to a songfic I've ever written. I tend not to like them most of the time, but it fits here.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 7: The melodies in our hearts**

* * *

Karin scowled at the man, keeping her hand on Ongetsu's hilt as she watched Toshiro carefully. She could feel her zanpakuto spirit rise to the forefront, longing for a fight. Karin wasn't as eager as her zanpakuto spirit, but she was ready. If Toshiro attacked, she would follow suit. Her reiatsu flared up around her, crackling like a whirlwind, and Toshiro's eyes drifted towards her for a moment, carrying with them a warning.

There was a reason Karin had never envied her twin's position. The two of them might have been equal in strength, but there was one crucial difference right now.

Yuzu was a vice-captain. Yuzu had a power limiter.

Karin did not. If she had to fight today, she could fight at her full strength.

But Toshiro didn't attack. Instead, he cautiously removed his hand from Hyorinmaru's blade. Karin slowly began easing off the spiritual pressure, and the man inhaled sharply, as if he could finally breathe now.

"Talk," he said. "And then we have some questions of our own."

The man nodded. He took a deep breath, looking between Karin and Toshiro. "You're not like those others, are you?" he asked.

"What others?" asked Toshiro.

"They look like you," said the man. "They're spirits too, and they carry swords."

Toshiro and Karin exchanged glances. No words were exchanged between them, but they understood.

"Did they wear white instead of black?" asked Karin, gesturing at her shihakusho. "White robes, black tabi, white mask fragments over the face?"

"Aa," said the man, nodding.

"Arrancar," said Toshiro. Karin nodded once. The Tenth Division captain turned towards the man. "They're our enemies. Where did you see them?" he asked.

"Where else?" asked the man, scowling. "Talking to _her_." He spat out the last word like it left a bad taste in his mouth.

"Who?" asked Toshiro.

"The leader of the New Dawn, of course," said the man, frowning at them. "Kiyomizu Hanako. She's the one I wanted to talk to you about."

"What about her?" asked Karin.

"She's strong," said the man, "I've felt her—her…power? The thing you just showed me…"

"Reiatsu," supplied Karin, folding her arms. "Spiritual pressure."

"Her reiatsu," he said. "It's strong. Stronger than yours. If—If your friends go up against her, they'll die." Karin doubted it. He knew that if this man sensed Yuzu and Byakuya's strength, it was through the veil of their power limiters. But that said a lot about how strong he thought this Hanako was.

Toshiro's frown deepened. "There's no human that strong," she said.

"That's the thing, though," said the man, a scowl appearing on his face. "She's not. She's not human."

"Kiyomizu Hanako doesn't exist in this world."

Silence followed his pronouncement.

* * *

"Are those sakura trees?" asked Yuzu, looking out over the park.

After the meeting with the New Dawn, the two of them had started slowly walking back to the hotel. Their path meandered a little more on the way back, as there was no longer any hurry to get anywhere, and the two of them had started looking at different aspects of the scenery. They were now walking around the edge of the Shinjuku Gyoen park, the greenery offering a nice contrast to the otherwise metallic city.

Byakuya glanced at them idly out of the corner of his eye. "They are," he said. "It will be about a month yet before they start to bloom."

"I bet this place must be beautiful in April," commented Yuzu, as they crossed over to the other side of the street. Byakuya frowned at her as they walked.

"You have seen the Kuchiki gardens in April," he said.

"Hai," said Yuzu, nodding and smiling. "And those are beautiful too, don't get me wrong, but it's nice to see trees like this in the middle of such a big city."

He watched as she took a small skipping step forward, smiling brightly. Byakuya caught the sound of a familiar melody in the air and realized in that moment that she was humming to herself. He did not understand her excitement. This was, after all, the world she was born into. There was no reason for her to be so thrilled to be here…unless…

A thought struck him.

"Kurosaki, have you never been to Tokyo before?" he asked.

Yuzu paused and turned her head, looking back at him. "No, never," she said. "Before I came to Soul Society, I'd never left Karakura Town."

"Why not?" asked Byakuya. "Surely your educational institution would have given you those opportunities."

"There were class trips," she said, falling into step beside him again. "But there was always help needed at the clinic, and I wasn't in the soccer club like Karin-chan…" She smiled, clasping her hands behind her back and tilting her head up slightly towards the sky. "I used to be a little upset about it, I'll admit…but it's okay. Even if it's a mission, I'm glad to be here…"

She trailed off, hinting at things left unsaid. Byakuya frowned in thought. Just as he was thinking this over, someone called out to them.

"Indoor plants!" yelled a vendor at the side of the street. "Indoor and outdoor plants! Freshen up your gardens for the spring!"

Byakuya cast him a glance and moved to continue walking, but his vice-captain turned, a curious frown on her face as she approached the stall. He sighed slightly, coming to stop just behind her as she reached the stall. He looked over her shoulder as the vendor smiled at her.

"Are you looking for some flowers, miss?" he asked.

"Actually, I just wanted to take a quick look," said Yuzu, studying the plants in front of her. Byakuya's attention wandered, and he glanced back at the cherry trees that lined the park. They were bare now, but he knew from experience that they would soon begin to bloom. Against the backdrop of gray and blue, they would be brilliant.

"Look, taicho, they have camellias!" said Yuzu, catching his attention. He glanced back at her to see her examining a small potted plant. The vendor was no longer paying attention to them, instead talking to another customer. "This would look great in the Division garden."

"We _have _camellias in the garden, Kurosaki," he said.

"We have _pink _camellias in the garden, taicho," she replied. "This one blooms white. It should set off the pink ones nicely." She picked up the card with care information, looking over it. "Look, see? _Camellia japonica noblissima. _Even the name sounds perfect for the Rokubantai."

His interest peaked. "Is it a Noblissima?" he asked. "We did have one in the gardens in my grandfather's day, but the plant died during a harsh winter."

"Then we should have a new one planted," said Yuzu. She checked the price tag on the plant and her face fell. "…Or not…" she said. "I still have to buy souvenirs for Karin-chan and the others…"

"Charge it to me," he said. At her surprised expression, he clarified. "It is for the good of the squad, is it not?"

"H-Hai, taicho…" she said.

"Tell the vendor to hold the plant in reserve. We will pass for it on the way out."

"Hai."

Their purchase completed, Yuzu tucked the receipt into her purse, continuing to walk out of the park and into the streets of Shibuya. By now, it was a little later in the day, and the streets were beginning to fill again. They passed the far end of the park, and Yuzu glanced back at it. "I think I'd like to see it in April, one of these days," she said, mostly to herself.

He said nothing. They waited in front of Shibuya's famous scramble crossing, watching the lights. Her eyes drifted northward, towards a large shopping center.

"Ano…taicho, I was wondering," she said. "…If there's time, can I stop there? I need to pick up some things for people."

"We are not doing anything at the moment, Kurosaki," he said, frowning at her.

"Ah, I know," she said. "But you don't need to come with me…I don't want to inconvenience you."

"It will not be an inconvenience," said Byakuya. "I also need to bring back something for Rukia."

"In that case, we should go," said Yuzu with a nod, beginning to head towards the large building.

* * *

"What the hell do you mean 'she doesn't exist in this world?'," demanded Karin.

The man hesitated for a moment. "My power…" he finally said, "…is that I can read the pasts of others. I can read their…auras, so to speak. It also gives me a sense of when people aren't…from around here…like you, and the ones in white." He took a deep breath, then turned to Toshiro. "That's why I ran from you on that day. I thought you were the same as that woman. But I've been watching you and your friends, and I realized that it's different. You're all not from this world, but you and your friends are from a different place."

"Different planes of existence…" said Toshiro. He frowned. "And this woman?"

The man shook his head. "She's from a different place, but it's not the same as yours or the ones in white. It's…it's different. It's almost like yours, but for some reason it feels smaller, more personal…I don't know…I can't tell. Her presence worries me."

"We've established that," Karin heard Toshiro mutter under his breath. She looked up, frowning at the man.

"…How can we trust you?" she asked. "How do we know you actually have this power, and aren't just trying to mess with us?"

The man stared at Karin for a moment, as if seeing through her. Then, he spoke in a hushed voice. "You lost someone," he said. "Someone you cared about very deeply. She reminded you of sunshine and summer flowers. The wound still hurts, but you hide it deep inside…"

Karin felt a surge of anger run through her at the man's words. "That's none of your business," she growled, just as Toshiro looked up at her, a concerned frown on his face. The man turned to Toshiro, continuing on.

"And you hurt someone…" he said. "You were deceived by a trick of the light. She reminded you of watermelons and childhood…"

"Alright," said Toshiro, interrupting him. His eyes were suddenly more serious than Karin had seen them in a while. "…We believe you. Continue."

"I can take you to where I saw them," said the man, his expression serious. "Kiyomizu Hanako, talking to the two in white."

The two shinigami exchanged glances. Karin frowned at Toshiro and shrugged. "You're the captain here," she said, taking a step back. "But I smell a rat."

"So do I…" said Toshiro. "But I don't see any other leads." He turned towards the man. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Asakawa Kaito," he said.

"Asakawa Kaito," repeated Toshiro, his voice cold. "…If you deceive us, and lead us into a trap…we will kill you. Do you understand?"

"Hai," said Kaito, nodding.

"Then lead the way," said Toshiro, removing his hand from Hyorinmaru's hilt.

* * *

An hour and a half later, Yuzu and Byakuya were walking through the shopping center, carrying their purchases. They had explored the various shops at their leisure, Yuzu picking out things for her various family members and acquaintances as Byakuya searched for a single present for Rukia. He thought that he had had fewer mishaps with the technology of this world today, barring a single incident in the "Entertainment" center of an electronics store where his fukutaicho had left him alone with a small device called a laptop computer. He had stood in front of the machine idly pressing buttons until her return, a frown on his face as the screen continued to show brightly colored error messages.

"_Kurosaki, what does this mean?" he had asked her as she came back with a small bag he assumed was for her sister. She looked over his shoulder, staring at the screen. _

"…_It means we should walk out of here very fast, taicho," she said, tugging on his sleeve and pulling him away from the machine. "No, keep your head down, act natural…" _

After that, they had made a small stop at a pharmacy because Yuzu wanted to purchase something called 'aspirin'. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but upon reading the packaging, he realized it was pain-reliever, especially for headaches.

…He gracefully assumed that it was the noise and constant bustle of the place that was making her ill.

He paused, looking up as they passed a store that had several musical instruments on display. Yuzu stopped as well, frowning at him as she followed his line of sight. He stepped away from her, heading towards the door. Slowly, she followed him, the two of them entering the relative quiet of the music store. His eyes drifted over the instruments, some familiar and some unfamiliar, before falling on the sleek grand piano on display.

Byakuya stared down at the piano in front of him, slowly pressing a single key. A note sounded through the music store, clear and true. He pressed the key next to it, listening carefully to the sound.

"It's a piano, taicho," offered Yuzu from her position behind him. "It's a musical instrument."

"I am aware of what a piano is, Kurosaki," he said, not turning back to look at her. "I was checking to see if it was in tune." He placed one hand on the keyboard, playing a brief set of notes. They tumbled over each other in a soft, experimental melody, the sound of music filling the air for a brief moment.

Yuzu's eyes widened, and she stared at him with an astonished look on her face. "Tai-taicho, you play the piano?" she asked.

"I took several years of lessons as an adolescent," he said. "Music remains a respectable hobby for a young nobleman." As he spoke, he slowly slid into the seat, his feet moving to test the piano's pedals. "You should not be surprised."

He placed his hands on the keyboard and took a deep breath, beginning to play a familiar melody. It was dark and haunting, bringing to mind memories of cold winter nights and of one cold spring morning, when he stepped outside to see his wife watching the first blossoms of the nearby plum tree. He closed his eyes as he played, feeling old pain returning, if only for a brief moment.

"_Kanashimi no iro o…oshiete iru you na…shizuka na yozora ni…" _He half-murmured the words to himself, but she looked up as he started singing. _"Kizukanu to shitara…kizukasete hoshii. Shirubeki subete o…" _

_The color of sorrow makes one realize…_

_That they need the peacefulness of the night sky_

_If you don't understand, I want to make you understand_

_Everything that you ought to know_

"_Tooku ni mieru nuguenu namida…mamorikirenai kotoba ga hibiku…" _

_From far away I can see your unwiped tears_

_The words that I can't hold on to are ringing out._

He took a deep breath, placing his hands firmly on the piano keys. _"Sekai ga owaru nara…Sono toki ni wa wakaru darou ka…Kotae o shiranu mama hitotsu mune o tojita…" _

_If the world should end_

_Surely in that moment you'd understand_

_That without knowing the answer, my solitary heart closed…_

He trailed off after the first chorus, letting the music die. Byakuya opened his eyes to see his fukutaicho staring at him from beside the piano, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Is something wrong, Kurosaki?" he asked.

Her face flushed, and she quickly looked away. "No, taicho," she said. "I just…I didn't recognize the song, that's all. Who wrote it?"

"I did. Some time ago." He did not elaborate.

A look of understanding came across her face. They had not spoken about the brief moment they shared at Hisana's grave, but it was clear that she still remembered it.

"Sou ka…" she said. "It's beautiful…I wish I could hear all of it…"

"…Perhaps someday, I will play it entire…"

The air had grown heavy between them. He frowned, an idea coming to him as he placed his hands on the keyboard again. He played a brief melody, the opening bars to the song she had been humming in the park. Her eyes widened at the sound, and her embarrassed flush deepened. He pretended not to notice.

"You are familiar with this song, are you not?" he asked.

"H-Hai," she said. "But…taicho…I didn't know you knew this one."

"Unohana-taicho once asked me to play this song for her so that she could sing it," he said, his hands stilling. "She appeared to enjoy it…and one does not simply refuse Unohana-taicho." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. "This song is best sung by a woman," he said.

Her eyes widened at the implications of that. "T-Taicho, I—I can't—," she said. "It's embarrassing…"

"Then I will stop," he said with a frown, removing his hands from the keyboard.

"N-No, wait, it's not that!" said Yuzu quickly, causing him to pause. "It—it's just…I only thought of it because of the flowers, okay? There's no other meaning to it…so don't take it the wrong way…"

"I would never think of it as such," he replied coolly.

"O-Okay then…"

He played the opening bars again. She sighed, exhaling slowly and turning away from him, leaning against the side of the piano. As he reached the part where the lyrics would start, he heard her halting voice begin to sing.

"_Juuroku de…kimi to ai…hyakunen no k-koi mo…shite ne…" _

_When I was sixteen, I met you, and fell into a hundred year love…_

He frowned at the lyrics, watching her out of the corner of his eye. Her eyes were focused on the ground, her expression far off and her face red. She clasped her hands tightly together, taking a deep breath and singing the last line. _"…Hirahira to…mai ochiru…s-sakura no hanabira no…shita de…" _

_Under these cherry blossoms that fall slowly…_

"_A—Aitakute kakenuketa hi no ataru kyuu na sakamichi wa…K-Kouen no sumi futari no kage wa ima mo kawaranu mama…" _

_The steep hill I ran through wanting to see you, and our shadows in the corner of the park remain unchanged. _

Her voice began to grow a little steadier as they moved to the next verse, although it was still halting, and she refused to look at him. He wondered at her odd behavior, a contemplative frown on his face as he played, his fingers slowly drawing out the familiar music as she almost whispered the words to herself.

"_Kimi to boku to…sakura biyori…"_

_You, me, and the cherry blossom weather_

_It returns after being swayed by the wind._

_As if I woke up from a long dream…_

_The sky that I looked up at is pink. _

_I loved you…_

_I loved you who created a colorful smile…_

_That soft spot that only I know about…_

* * *

Karin frowned as she and Toshiro followed Kaito down the street in the Udagawa district, looking around at the shops on either side of them. She grabbed her boyfriend's elbow to catch his attention.

"Spain Hill," she muttered, giving the street's famous nickname. "Why did we not check this place first?"

"…Who knows?" asked Toshiro, frowning as he glanced back at the man. "It does seem fairly obvious, now that I think about it."

"It's not much further," said Kaito, glancing back at them. He didn't look at them head on, speaking quietly as if he were muttering to himself. Karin realized that it was the exact same way she would talk to Toshiro, when she was alive and would meet him walking down the street. It was an acknowledgment that Kaito saw things other humans did not see.

He continued to lead them up the hill, stopping in front of the mouth of an alley. "Back here," he said, discreetly waving them forward.

Karin took a step and found herself stopped by Toshiro's outstretched arm. He had come to a stop in front of her, his eyes narrowed.

That was when she felt it—the sudden surge of reiatsu.

"Asakawa, get down!" yelled Toshiro.

Kaito whipped around, his eyes wide, but it was too late. The tip of a sword erupted from his chest, and he gasped in pain. Around him, people shrieked in terror. Karin could only imagine what it must look like to them.

Behind him, a dark-haired figure stepped out, one of his hands on the hilt of the sword. A single mask fragment adorned his face, marking him as an Arrancar. He was dressed in white.

Toshiro tensed.

"Sieg…" he muttered under his breath.

Sieg frowned at Kaito, his face impassive as Kaito struggled for breath. "Now, Kaito…" he said quietly. "Why would you betray us like that?"

He twisted the sword and drew it out, cutting as he went. There was a flash of light, and Kaito's spirit flew forward from his body, landing in a heap in front of them. His chain of fate had been cut, and his eyes widened as he stared down at it, his shoulders shaking.

Sieg shook the blood from his sword casually, a line forming on the street.

Toshiro tensed, drawing Hyorinmaru as the Arrancar stepped forward.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**A/N: **Byakuya sang Yozora no Kawa, which is his Bleach Beat Collection song (go look it up if you haven't heard of it yet). It's sung by his seiyuu for his character. Yuzu sang Sakura Biyori, the Bleach ending song.

Byakuya playing the piano came to me because EVERY single one of his Bleach Beat Collection songs has a strong piano background (including Listen to One Story and Sen no Yoru wo Koete). Now…go back and listen to those songs and imagine Byakuya playing the piano for them. *prepares for influx of fangirl squees*

Also listen to the piano behind Unohana's version of Sakura Biyori.

Translations are taken both from animelyrics and from YouTube and other blogs.


	8. A new war

**A/N:** So for the people wondering how Urahara meddled…I intended to add it into the story, but the mood suddenly changed on me. So expect an explanation in an omake somewhere, and maybe it will come up again. Sorry. .

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach. At all.

* * *

**Chapter 8: A new war**

* * *

Toshiro wasted no time in starting the battle.

"Sit upon the frozen heavens, Hyorinmaru!" he commanded, ice crystals erupting from the base of his blade to form the white dragon that was Hyorinmaru's shikai. The dragon flew towards Sieg, jaws outstretched, but the Arrancar simply took a step back, sweeping the dragon aside with a swipe of his sword. Sieg's eyes drifted towards the cowering Plus on the ground, and he pointed his finger at him.

"_Bala_," he said calmly.

Karin immediately flash stepped in front of Kaito, holding her sword in front of her. The blast of energy struck the blade, the shock of impact traveling all the way up her hands. She scowled, but stood her ground, her own reiatsu flaring up as a counterpoint and holding her steady. Toshiro glanced back at her as he landed lightly on the ground.

"Karin, take care of him," he said, looking briefly at Kaito's spirit. Toshiro jumped into the air again, sending Hyorinmaru straight at Sieg. The Arrancar jumped into the air as well, and Hyorinmaru's dragon looped back to catch him as he flew straight at the white-haired captain.

"Got it," said Karin, turning her sword around and preparing to press the hilt of it to Kaito's forehead.

"No _konsou_!" commanded Toshiro from above, holding his sword out in front of his chest as he blocked Sieg's blow, the two of them locked in combat. "We need his information, and we don't know if he'll make it to Rukongai with his wits intact."

"Then how the hell am I supposed to protect him?" yelled Karin.

As if in response to that, Sieg raised his hand, two fingers moving swiftly through the air. A rip opened in the sky, and with a roar, a Gillian shambled through, its height making them look like a skyscraper against the city's skyline. Karin's eyes narrowed, and she grabbed Kaito by the elbow, pulling him up.

"KARIN!" shouted Toshiro.

"I know, I know!" she shouted back, grabbing Kaito under the arm and flash stepping out of the way quickly as the Gillian opened his mouth, sending out a red beam that tore at the street. She quickly shoved the newly-created Plus into an alleyway.

"Stay here," she said, "And don't move."

"But what are you going to do?" asked Kaito. "They're too strong…"

Karin looked up in the sky, watching as Toshiro and Sieg exchanged blows, each of them matching the other's attacks equally. They moved so quickly that she couldn't see the spaces in between their movements, just the brief times they would come together and the sparks that would come off their zanpakutos.

"What the hell do you think I'm going to do?" she asked, pointing Ongetsu straight out in front of her. "I'm going to fight. Reveal yourself, Ongetsu."

At her command, darkness engulfed her sword's hilt, the blade forming into a familiar scythe. She gripped it in both hands, jumping into the air. The Gillian turned towards her, fixing her with its dull red eyes. Its mouth opened again as it charged up another Cero. Karin scowled, gathering reiatsu around the blade of her scythe. She swung it into the air above her head.

"Getsuga…" she began, her gray eyes glowing with a faint light. Her reiatsu crackled around her. "TENSHOU!"

A large curved blade of reiatsu tore through the air, cutting the Cero down the middle as it formed and crashing into the Gillian from the side. The blade of reiatsu crackled sharply, tearing a deep gash in the monster.

* * *

"…_an unexplained disturbance occurring in the Udagawa district of the Shibuya prefecture, on Spain Hill, a popular shopping destination…"_

Yuzu frowned, looking over the back of the couch and at the TV. The captain was seated on the couch, the two of them having come back to the hotel after their brief shopping venture. Yuzu had come in to ask him what he wanted to do for lunch when the news report had caught her ear.

The TV was showing a gash suddenly opening in a skyscraper, shards of glass breaking and falling to the street as people screamed. Her eyes narrowed. For a moment, she thought she had seen a flash of black robes, before they disappeared from sight.

"That damage pattern…" she said almost to herself as she studied the building. Her heart beat quickly in her chest, and she felt Jungetsu's sudden concern. She couldn't feel her reiatsu, but she knew. She knew in her heart that it was Karin.

Byakuya nodded, his expression serious. "It resembles a Getsuga Tenshou."

"Karin-chan…"

"It would appear so," said Byakuya. His frown deepened, and he rose to his feet. "Kurosaki, prepare for battle. Inform the human of the situation. We will observe, but we will maintain our cover as spiritually aware humans, should we run into members of the New Dawn."

"Hai, taicho," said Yuzu, her expression serious. She placed one hand on her purse, where their Soul Candy dispensers rested. Deep within her, buried beneath the confines of her gigai, she felt Jungetsu begin to stir.

_**My brother fights. I feel him. Remember the words I said to you…**_said the zanpakuto spirit. _**Do not hold back. **_

_If it comes to that…_she promised silently. _I won't._

* * *

A blast of compressed air tore through the alleyway, heading straight towards him. Yasui Tetsuya jumped back into the air, the blast scoring the ground directly underneath him and slamming into the alley's wall. He landed neatly on his feet, his hand going back to the plastic water bottle hanging from his backpack. His eyes narrowed, focused on the girl in front of him.

She was dressed in a high school uniform, her black hair cut short and hanging just below her ear. One of her hands was outstretched, facing him.

Ahead of him, the battle between Hitsugaya Toshiro, Kurosaki Karin, and the Arrancar continued. He could sense their reiatsu through the city streets, and it had been what had drawn him in the first place.

"I can't allow you to interfere in Siegel-san's battle," said the girl, frowning at him.

"Who are you?" asked Yasui.

"Hamano Tomoe," she replied. "Third in command of the New Dawn."

"You're human," replied Yasui. "Why are you siding with the Arrancar?"

"Why do _you _side with the shinigami, Yasui Tetsuya?" asked the girl in reply. Yasui's eyes widened in surprise, and the girl nodded once. "Yes," she said. "We know who you are. We've been watching Kusanagi for a very long time, at Hanako-sama's orders."

_Sama…_thought Yasui, feeling a chill crawl up his spine. _Why sama…? _

From inside his jacket pocket, he felt his phone begin to vibrate. Yasui quickly drew it out, glancing at the name that displayed on the screen.

_Incoming call…Kurosaki Yuzu_

He raised it to his ear, about to answer. The girl moved her hand again, and a jet of compressed air shot from her fingers, slamming into the fragile phone and shattering it against the wall. Yasui jumped back, a deep frown on his face as he neatly avoided the next blast that came his way. The girl's expression didn't change. She merely advanced, pinning him against the alley wall.

"I don't want to fight you," he said quietly. "We shouldn't be fighting each other. There's too few of us as it is."

"Then you will die here," said the girl matter-of-factly. She drew her hand back, a blast of curved air heading towards him. "And I will rip your chain of fate from your chest."

His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he stepped to the side, the blast of heated air neatly moving past him. "I didn't want to fight you, Hamano-san," he said, his voice cold. "But with that threat, you sealed your fate. I'm not afraid to die. None of us are. But even as a threat, I won't have you making a Hollow out of me."

She pulled back her hand again. Yasui thrust his hand outward, the water bursting from his water bottle and rushing towards her. It sharpened as it reached her, forming three blades that came at her from all sides. Tomoe's eyes widened, and she jumped back, drawing the air around herself in a whirlwind and scattering the water into water droplets around her. The droplets sharpened into needles with a wave of Yasui's hand, flying towards her as the whirlwind eased up.

One of the needles scratched her cheek as it hit, leaving a line of blood.

Tomoe simply smirked, her eyes shadowed by her hair. The whirlwind burst around her, and Yasui's eyes widened as it struck the droplets of water, the heat from the wind vaporizing them on contact. He quickly unzipped his backpack, reaching for another bottle of water. He uncapped it, letting a stream of water pool around him. The temperature in the alley rose a few degrees, coils of steam rising from his collection of water.

"Don't bother," said Tomoe, stepping forward through the wave of heat. "I know your powers, Yasui. You can control large quantities of water and use them in an attack. But you can't create water, can you?"

He took a step back, gritting his teeth.

"I can control the temperature of the air I use, the same way you can change the temperature of your water. But my control exceeds yours. Go ahead, make it as cold as you wish. I can still heat it. And what will you do once your supply runs out?"

He hurled the blast of water towards her. It struck a shield of air, evaporating on impact. Steam shimmered around her for a moment, before getting swept up in a wave of hot air.

"If you think I'm afraid of a glorified air-conditioner, you've got another thing coming," he said, reaching for another bottle.

"Simple bravado," said Tomoe, smirking. "You know that I've won this battle."

Yasui scowled, spilling the water into the air before rushing towards her again.

* * *

"I can't reach Yasui-kun!" said Yuzu in an alarmed voice as they ran down the street, staring at her cellphone. The last few calls she had placed had gone straight to voice mail. Byakuya glanced back from where he ran ahead of her, a frown on his face.

"I can sense his reiatsu," he said, after a moment. "He appears to be engaged in battle."

"We need to help him!" said Yuzu, expanding her own senses as well. She caught the faint feeling of Yasui's reiatsu, but it was far away, and not as strong as the impression Karin and Hitsugaya's reiatsu left in her mind. She glanced in the direction it came from.

"There is no time," said Byakuya. "Leave him. He fights only one enemy, and his opponent is also human."

"But—," began Yuzu.

"There is still one Arrancar," said Byakuya, interrupting her. "And we are the only ones capable of defeating her. Have you forgotten that?"

Yuzu took a deep breath, staring in the direction of Yasui's reiatsu flares one more time. She knew Byakuya was right. Of course he was right. There was no way Yasui or any of the members of Kusanagi could take an Espada-level Arrancar. From what she had heard in textbooks, Espada-level Arrancar could be challenges even for _captain_-level shinigami. And she had felt Catalina's strength before. There was no way of telling whether or not Catalina and Sieg were the only Arrancar they had to worry about either.

But the thought of leaving Yasui behind to fight his own battle tore at her.

If she went to help him, though, she would be leaving her taicho alone against an Espada-level Arrancar of unknown strength, while Yasui fought against an opponent he was matched with.

If Yasui was fighting a human opponent too, then there was only one interpretation of that. The New Dawn truly did side with the rogue Arrancar.

It was horrible, but it was necessary. She took a deep breath, nodding once and following Byakuya down the street.

_Yasui-kun…_she thought. _Don't die…_

* * *

Karin landed lightly on the ground in the wake of the dead Gillian, Ongetsu's shaft tucked lightly under her arm as the scythe blade pointed at the ground. She looked up, watching as Sieg pushed off with his sword, sending Toshiro flying into one of the nearby buildings. Glass shattered, raining onto the streets below and further inciting the people's panic. She tightened her grip on the scythe's shaft. She pushed off the ground, pulling Ongetsu back and holding the scythe blade above her head.

"Toshiro, the limiter!" she yelled as she brought her scythe down towards Sieg's head.

There was a pause, and then power pulsed from the cloud of dust and glass. The reiatsu pulse blew the glass outward, revealing the Tenth Division captain. His eyes were narrowed, one hand on Hyorinmaru's hilt. The other tugged his shihakusho aside, revealing the Tenth Division daffodil on his chest.

It glowed a bright blue and then shattered, releasing a wave of reiatsu in the air. As it did, Sieg turned around, ducking under Ongetsu's slash and shoving Karin away with a wave of his hand. Karin grunted in pain, but flipped over in the air, sliding on a patch of solid reiatsu underneath her and getting to her feet. Toshiro charged Sieg again, their blades meeting a second time before they pulled apart.

"How about it, Hitsugaya Toshiro?" asked Sieg, pointing his sword at Toshiro. "Will you show me your bankai now?"

Toshiro grit his teeth, glancing once at Karin. She nodded, knowing what he was asking, and flash stepped away, grabbing Kaito and taking him to a farther distance. The Plus seemed to be having a hard time breathing, with all of the reiatsu in the air.

It suddenly grew cold, as cold as winter. Toshiro held Hyorinmaru up in front of him, the dragon coiling behind him. "If that is how you wish to die today…" he said. "So be it."

A small smirk appeared on Sieg's face. "Very well," he said, drawing his zanpakuto back. "Haunt," he commanded, reiatsu swirling around him. "Fantasma."

"Bankai," said Toshiro, his eyes narrowing.

"Daiguren Hyourinmaru."

* * *

_Boom. Boom. _

Twin shots tore through the air as Byakuya and Yuzu rounded the corner into the Udagawa side street. For a moment, the two of them caught sight of rounded pellets with a familiar skull insignia painted on the side, wreathed in blue flames. The bullets struck their gigais in the chests, the false bodies falling to the ground as their spirits flew out of them. Byakuya landed neatly in a crouched position, his eyes narrowed. Beside him, Yuzu flew backwards a little bit more before planting her feet on the ground and sliding back, one hand on Jungetsu's hilt.

The both of them wore their shihakushos in this form, their zanpakutos at their sides. They looked up at the top of one of the buildings, near the painted graffiti murals against the wall.

A young man stood on the wall, his hand on a silvery-gray gun. He had a shock of messy brown hair on his head, and his eyes were a deep brown. As Yuzu watched, he rolled another set of bullets between his fingers, loading them into the revolver.

Beside him stood a familiar red-haired Arrancar. Catalina Falza smirked, holding her zanpakuto in one hand. Its naked blade gleamed in the sun.

Yuzu slowly drew Jungetsu, holding it in one hand as Byakuya drew Senbonzakura from its sheath.

"Good shot, Jin," said Catalina, grinning as put her foot on the ledge over the side of the building and leaned on her knee. The man beside her said nothing, slowly loading the bullets into the gun. "Long time no see, Kurosaki Yuzu, Kuchiki Byakuya." She tugged on her Arrancar robes, pulling them off her shoulder and revealing the beginning of an ugly red scar. "You know, I never got to thank you for this."

Yuzu's eyes narrowed sharply, her grip tightening on Jungetsu's hilt. Byakuya glanced back at her. "Do not allow her to provoke you," he said, his voice low as he watched Catalina.

"Hai, taicho," said Yuzu quietly.

"Did you really think you were fooling anyone with those gigais?" she asked. "Did you really think we wouldn't notice that you were in this city? How dumb do you think we are, stupid shinigami?"

"What is your aim here?" asked Byakuya.

"Our _aim_?" asked Catalina, laughing. "You're about to die, and you ask us about our _goals_? Our only goal this moment is to kill you. That's all you need to know." She held her zanpakuto in front of her, her reiatsu flaring. Byakuya glanced back at Yuzu.

"Kurosaki," he said. "The limiter."

"Hai," said Yuzu. She tugged her shihakusho to the side, exposing the camellia-shaped black mark over her collarbone. Byakuya did the same, exposing an identical mark. Their reiatsus began to flare around them, the camellia marks glowing a bright blue before they shattered, disappearing completely.

At once, the entirety of her spiritual powers came back, and Yuzu felt a slow hum of power begin from Jungetsu, traveling through her body and rippling under her skin. Byakuya's reiatsu continued to increase as hers tapered off, and she could feel it as electricity in the air, as soft pressure on her skin, pushing her down and reminding her of the power contained in the shinigami captain that stood next to her.

Catalina gave them a bloodthirsty grin. "Now it's a party," she said, stepping back. "Jin."

Jin nodded, raising his gun and pulling the hammer back as he pointed it at Yuzu.

Byakuya wasted no time. He jumped into the air at the same time as Catalina did, their zanpakutos meeting with a clang. "Kurosaki," he said in a commanding tone as he flash stepped away, following his opponent into the air.

"Hai!" said Yuzu in response, holding her zanpakuto out in front of her. Jin fired, a single shot coming in her direction. The shot exploded into a streak of fire, the bolt heading straight for her. Yuzu jumped into the air, soaring over the bullet and flipping over, so that her feet pointed up and her head pointed towards the ground, her eyes still on Jin. Even in this position, she held Jungetsu up in front of her face, resting her hand on the blade.

"Reflect, Jungetsu!" she commanded.

White light surrounded her sword, shooting around her back and forming the two fans bound by the sash that was her zanpakuto's true form. She felt Jungetsu's power pulse through her as she landed in a crouched position on the ground, keeping one foot in place and using the other to pivot around quickly. "Getsuga Tenshou!" she called, two smaller blue Getsugas rushing up the side of the building towards the shooter.

Jin simply stared at the reiatsu blades as they rushed towards him. He jumped back and away from them at the last moment, avoiding them as they tore through the roof and landing on an exposed piece of stone that was still stable. He held his gun out as Yuzu flash stepped into the air, shooting calmly.

The bullet soared through the air towards her. Yuzu jumped away from it as it formed a bolt of solid ice, flipping over in the air again and jumping straight towards Jin. She raised one fan in a circle, lowering the other one and pointing both blades at him. "Haneame!" she shouted, using Jungetsu's second technique.

The reiatsu bolts that waited inside the fan's hollow tines shot out, forming a rain of needle-shaped blasts of compressed reiatsu that shot through the air, impacting the side of the building and scoring several small welts. Jin's facial expression didn't change as he leaped away from them, the needle-like blades kicking up dust and stone as they went.

Jin raised his gun towards her again, and Yuzu landed on the ground, pushing off of the wall of the Udagawa alley way with her feet before dodging the next bullet. Just as it was in the air, though, Jin changed position, his gun pointed straight at her as she landed on the ground. He pulled the trigger.

_**Remember your resolve…**_said Jungetsu as the bullet approached.

_I know…_thought Yuzu quietly. She held both fans up in front of her, touching their bases together and forming a full white circle. Her eyes narrowed, a white light surrounding the fans.

"…_Shinkyo…" _she whispered quietly, the technique name a command.

* * *

Kiyomizu Hanako felt a shiver run up her arm as the feeling of reiatsu over the city changed, reminding her that now there were four powerful shinigami in play. She watched from the top of the building, folding her arms and surveying the battle with an impassive look in her light brown eyes.

"And now…" she said quietly, her eyes narrowed. "We've given our declaration of war."

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**A/N: **Haneame (羽雨, _feather rain) _is a technique of Jungetsu that is based off of the –getsu family's reiatsu compression abilities. It uses Jungetsu's hollow tines to form a rain of needle-like blades of compressed reiatsu. The number of blades varies, but it basically turns each of Jungetsu's hollow tines into the shinigami form of an automatic rifle.

Shinkyo will be explained in the next chapter. ^^

Ongetsu has special abilities of his own, but _those _will be revealed later on, because Karin is more of a straightforward fighter, so wait for that.

Fantasma is Sieg's zanpakuto. Its name is Spanish for phantasm.

* * *

**Omake: **

"Ne, Yasui-kun…I've been meaning to ask, what do you carry in that backpack of yours?"

The three of them were walking down the street after their initial meeting with the New Dawn, Yasui carrying his bulging backpack on his back like the weight was nothing. Yasui grinned, slinging his backpack over one shoulder and putting it on the ground. He unzipped it, revealing several plastic water bottles.

"Eight bottles of water," he said, reaching into the backpack and pulling out a small device, a set of earphones wrapped around it. "And my iPod."

Yuzu sweatdropped.

"Um…are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked.

"Why?" asked Yasui, frowning at her. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Uh…nothing," she said quietly.


	9. The opening act

**A/N:** Sometimes, when we write stories, we get some scenes right and some scenes wrong. It's come to my attention from more than one reviewer that the piano scene was a bit of a misstep. Thank you for that. ^^ I'm not going to make excuses for it, because when you write a rough draft, you write what feels good to you at the time, and sometimes you get it right and sometimes you don't. If I do decide to rework this after it's finished though, I'll rework that scene and make it more IC.

Thanks for continuing to stick with the story though! And above all, thanks for the **constructive **criticism that helps me get better. (Flamers stay away, not that I've had problems with _those_. .)

Regarding Byakuya, he's not completely oblivious. He _is _aware that Yuzu is showing signs of infatuation, but he's ignoring them, thinking she'll grow out of it. He just started paying attention now, though, so he thinks it's a new development. She's keeping anything deeper than signs of infatuation locked up tight inside, and he hasn't seen those yet.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach. At all. Kusanagi and the New Dawn and the plot are mine though, please don't steal.

* * *

**Chapter 9: The opening act**

* * *

Shadow moved up Sieg's arm, darkness engulfing the white of his Arrancar clothing. Toshiro's reiatsu flared in response, ice curling up his arm and over his back as the wings and claws of his bankai formed. Twelve petals of ice shaped in the air behind him, a reminder that his bankai would fade away once all twelve petals crumbled.

Karin landed on the rooftop of a distant building, lowering Kaito to the ground. He landed on the rooftop on his hands and knees, gulping in air quickly. Karin ignored him, staring at Toshiro. Dark clouds had begun to gather in the sky, lightning flashing in the distance. She pulled her shihakusho tighter against herself, her face set in a scowl as she looked around her.

It looked like Tokyo was about to get a freak snowstorm.

Toshiro's reiatsu didn't affect her the way it affected Kaito, but it was strong. She was aware of that much, and she knew that he was still holding back.

"The-the weather…" said Kaito once he had collected himself.

"Aa," said Karin, frowning. She inclined her head towards Toshiro. "It's him. His zanpakuto influences it."

"He's that strong?" asked Kaito, getting to his feet.

"He's a captain of the Gotei 13. Of course he is."

Sieg dashed forward through the air, rushing at Toshiro. In his released form, he was small—his size not altered by the release of his zanpakuto, but he was small in the way Tensa Zangetsu was small—strong power compressed into a small area. He was a wisp of black shadow that shifted in the light, his fingers tapering off into claws. The only white part of him was the fragments of his mask. They had crept up over his hair, going over his face. His eyes shone bright red beneath them.

Toshiro moved smoothly out of the way of Sieg's attack, but the Arrancar was fast. He changed direction in the air quickly, appearing just behind the Tenth Division captain. Toshiro whipped around, bringing his arm down in a slash. Fragments of ice burst from the air, heading towards Sieg. He jumped back, neatly avoiding each strike and weaving through the large shards of ice. Toshiro didn't relent, a wave of frozen hail curling under his arm as he moved it slightly and rushing straight for the Arrancar. Sieg seemed to falter for a moment, but dissolved into shadow as the ice struck him, the shadow coiling around the blast of ice and heading straight for Toshiro. He moved out of the way, jumping back as the coiling masses of shadow formed scythe-like blades, sweeping down at him. They reformed in the air, forming the shape of Sieg again.

Karin scowled as she watched the fight, leaning Ongetsu's shaft on her shoulder so that the scythe blade curved over her head. Her eyes narrowed as she saw some of Sieg's shadows coil behind Toshiro as Toshiro charged at him, and her grip tightened on Ongetsu, grabbing the shaft with both hands. She flash stepped, disappearing from the rooftop.

"TOSHIRO!" she yelled in warning, as she reappeared in the air behind him, bringing her scythe down. Ongetsu's blade gleamed wickedly for a moment as the scythe cleaved through the shadows, cutting them and causing them to disperse. Toshiro looked over her shoulder as Sieg leered at her, moving his hand and recalling the shadows. Toshiro scowled, turning back to Sieg and rushing forward again towards him.

"Rats should learn to stay out of the way," said Sieg as he flew backwards through the air, putting distance between himself and Toshiro. His voice sounded distorted and layered in this form, as though he were speaking through a bad connection. He raised his hand, firing a Cero off to Toshiro's right. Toshiro turned his head as the flash of red flew by, his eyes widening.

"_Karin_!" he shouted.

Karin scowled, holding Ongetsu out in front of her. Again, the blade gleamed with its own unearthly light. "Quit screwing around!" she yelled, swinging the scythe in a half-circle around her. Ongetsu's blade cut through the Cero blast, leaving a visible gash in the shape of a half circle. The blast dispersed, and she could feel its reiatsu crackling in the air around her.

She flash stepped in front of Sieg, her scythe pulled back and raised above her head. Karin brought it down with a shout of effort, and Sieg's eyes widened briefly from beneath his mask as the tip of Ongetsu's blade pierced the shadow. He jumped back, transforming into shadow and leaping twice away, before reforming. He hovered in the air, a mass of shadow with a vague human-like form, but a thin cut had been torn in his arm, coiling shadows leaking out from it like smoke.

"How did you cut me?" he asked, his tone angry.

Karin scowled and said nothing, feeling Ongetsu's power thrum through her as she glanced back at Toshiro.

"Toshiro," she said. "He's using his reiatsu as a cloak He can't be hit when he transforms into shadow."

"Aa, I noticed," said Toshiro. "But you can cut him?"

"Ongetsu can," she said. "As long as I can reach him."

"Understood," said Toshiro, nodding briefly. He flash stepped from her side, appearing in the air above Sieg and slashing his sword downwards towards him. A single petal behind him crumbled away, ice fragments blowing in the wind.

* * *

"Tch."

Yasui scowled as Tomoe reflected his last blast of water, steam rising in the air. He had been trying to sneak an attack in behind her, but it looked like she was using the wind both as a shield and as another pair of eyes. As soon as the attack reached her sphere of influence, she cut it off, smacking it out of the air like it was nothing. The temperature in the alley had risen several degrees, so that it was hot. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, water he could detect but not use in large enough quantities. Above him, dark clouds gathered. He could feel the water gathering in the air, promising some sort of precipitation, but it wasn't coming fast enough.

His backpack felt uncomfortably light. He did a mental inventory as he took a step back. Three bottles of water left.

"You look like a man that's out of options," commented Tomoe, that infernal smirk on her face as she stepped forward, sending a coiling mass of hot air towards him like a whip. It caught him in the chest, and he gasped as it threw him back against the wall, scalding some of his exposed skin.

"Not quite yet," he said under his breath, reaching into his backpack.

At once, all the water in the three bottles burst forth, and he shouted, gathering it in his hands and pushing it out towards her. The large amount of water coiled, forming an arrow. Tomoe took a step back and quickly threw up a shield, but the water formed a point, the twisting mass striking the shield and punching through it. It struck Tomoe in the chest, and her eyes widened. She screamed, flying back and striking the alley wall before slumping onto the ground.

Yasui took a deep breath, his empty backpack falling back on his shoulders. It was a long shot, but he'd hoped that if he just used a large amount of water at once, Tomoe wouldn't be able to evaporate it. He stepped back, about to head towards Hitsugaya's fight, when Tomoe's hand twitched, a blast of air rushing straight for him.

Yasui's eyes widened as he felt it come and he leaned over backwards, the blast soaring straight over his head. He could feel the heat of it as it passed, and he straightened up, watching as she shakily pushed herself to her feet, taking deep breaths.

"You _hurt _me," she said angrily. "You hurt _me_! You'll pay for that!"

She moved her hands, a large blast of air heading straight for him.

* * *

Sieg met Toshiro's sword slash with one of his shadowy blades, jumping away from the attack and transforming into shadow as another barrage of ice shards came towards him. The minute he transformed, Karin flash stepped in front of Toshiro, Ongetsu pulled back. She slashed, and the shadows immediately reacted, narrowly avoiding Ongetsu's blade as they scattered into the air. The shadows twisted away from Karin, and Sieg reappeared, flipping over in the air just long enough for Toshiro to move in, slashing down with Hyourinmaru.

This time, the attack caught him in the chest, throwing him back into a skyscraper. Glass shattered and steel buckled from the impact, a wave of shadows rising up to conceal Sieg's form. Karin appeared in the air beside Toshiro, then darted off to the left as a coiling mass of shadows seeped out of the wreckage, letting out a shout as she brought Ongetsu's curved scythe blade down on top of it. The shadows banked, narrowly avoiding Ongetsu's attack this time.

Sieg reformed, sporting a long gash down his chest. The moment his form shifted, Toshiro moved in, rushing towards him and bringing his sword up over his head.

A blast of gold energy rippled through the air, coming towards them. Karin's eyes widened as she felt it, and she turned her head just in time to see it rise up from the top of one of the nearby buildings. She raised Ongetsu's sword, prepared to attempt to cut it out of the sky, when she felt another blast of reiatsu counter it, this one blue instead of gold and mostly uncontrolled. It felt like the blasts of reiatsu she had first used, back before she had enrolled at the Shino Academy.

Kaito.

She grit her teeth, turning towards the rooftop the attack had come from. A man stood there. He looked about the age of the members of the New Dawn, with dark hair and a heavy black coat. His hand was extended towards them, and a slender chain hung lightly around his wrist, a single stone glowing a brilliant amber. He could have been a human, if it wasn't for the fact that his eyes shone a bright gold.

Sieg scowled, glancing once at the man before nodding. Before either Karin or Toshiro could stop him, he disappeared from sight, reappearing beside the man. The two of them vanished, and Karin's eyes widened, raising Ongetsu above her head. "No you don't!" she shouted.

"Karin!" shouted Toshiro, stopping her. He was looking at the rooftop where she had left Kaito.

A thought occurred to her, and her eyes widened, glancing back at the rooftop. Kaito stood there, reiatsu crackling around him as he breathed hard, one hand over his chest. His reiatsu crackled around his Chain of Fate, and she saw it quickly shortening, the links crumbling away and disintegrating.

"Shit," she swore under her breath. Expenditures of power and emotional events caused the chain of fate to shorten. How could she forget that?

"Get him through the Dangai, quick," ordered Toshiro. "I'll meet you on the other side."

Karin nodded, flash stepping over to the rooftop towards Kaito. Toshiro watched her go, waiting just until he saw the first signs of a Senkaimon opening before he darted off to where he felt the others' reiatsu flaring as well.

* * *

"_Shinkyo." _

Yuzu brought the image of her inner world to mind, of Jungetsu's face reflected in the serenity of a pond of water. As soon as she gave the command, she saw Jungetsu close her eyes, exhaling soundlessly and falling down, down into the deep. Her own image, standing in front of Jin, rippled.

The bullet rushed towards her and it struck her in the heart, transforming suddenly into a sharp blade and impaling her on it. Her eyes widened, her back arched, her mouth opened in a silent scream. It was the perfect image of a successful attack, the perfect portrait of a killing move.

Jin's face remained expressionless, but he silently lowered his gun.

And then the image rippled outward just as Yuzu's body began to fall, starting from the point of impact. The image began to dissolve into curling wisps of light, fading away like mists.

Jin's eyes widened, and he turned his head to look behind him.

Yuzu appeared in the air, her own eyes narrowed and light trailing behind her as she swung her fan around, aiming for his chest. He jumped back and slid along the edge of the rooftop, the fan's blade opening up a line in the fabric of his jacket. She landed on the ground and pivoted quickly as he shot twice, two bullets heading straight for her. Again, they struck their marks, one hitting her shoulder and the other hitting her in the arm. She recoiled, but just like before, the image began to fade away, and she appeared in the air next to him, her eyes glowing blue as she gathered reiatsu to herself.

Jin raised his gun up and pointed it straight between her eyes. He pulled the trigger.

The gun clicked and the barrel shifted, reminding him that it was empty. At the last minute, Yuzu snapped the fan in her hand shut, striking him in the head with the blunt edge. Jin recoiled and stumbled back, nearly falling of the roof, but Yuzu grabbed him with her other hand as she landed, pulling him back on and towards her.

Above them, the battle between Byakuya and Catalina continued to rage, the air filled with alternating blasts of red and pink as Catalina fired Ceros and Senbonzakura's blades tore through the air. Jin immediately pulled himself away from Yuzu, emptying out the barrel of the revolver with a click. The shells scattered to the ground as he quickly loaded six more bullets into the barrel, firing a quick shot at her. The shot struck her in the chest, but again the image faded away, revealing Yuzu standing behind him. Her hand shot out, covering his eyes as she pulled him to her.

"_Bakudo # 41," _she said quietly. _"Inemuri_."

Jin took in a sharp breath. She felt him struggle against her for a moment, before his breathing evened out and he slumped to the ground, asleep. She took a deep breath, stepping away from him and pressing a hand to a small cut that had opened up around her right arm. He actually had managed to graze her with a bullet, once.

"…Dispel," she muttered under her breath, the curtain of light around her fading away as Jungetsu resurfaced from the pond again.

The Heart's Mirror—Shinkyo. A technique that projected an image of the target's strongest desire at the moment of activation, while simultaneously concealing anything in the environment that might contradict that illusion. The effect only lasted a few seconds, so outside of battle, it was difficult to use. But when used in the heat of battle, when the opponent usually desired little more than to see their attacks connect, it became a formidable defense.

Used correctly, it would hide her presence while the opponent saw their attack connect again and again. It left them chasing her reflection, the image she left behind.

It was Jungetsu's true power, born from her soul.

Illusion.

"I don't like using that technique if I can help it…" she said quietly as she stepped over to Jin's sleeping form, prying the gun from his hands. "…Illusion-type zanpakutos bring up bad memories in Soul Society, I think…Gomenasai. I know it's unfair. But I promised I wouldn't hold back."

That said, her eyes narrowed, and she turned her attention towards Byakuya's battle with Catalina.

"_Hado #73! Soren Sokatsui!" _

Her eyes widened in surprise as another voice shouted the attack, twin blasts of reiatsu suddenly heading straight for her as she stood on the rooftop.

* * *

Yasui sucked in a breath of air, clenching his fist as he felt her drive him further down to the ground. He moved his fingers, attempting to draw moisture from the air, but it was no use. A few droplets appeared at the end of his fingertips, fading away in the current of hot air around him. He let out a grunt of pain as she pushed harder, the wind driving him into the ground.

He was out of water, and she had a limitless supply of air. The storm didn't look like it would be coming any time soon, and he had nothing left to fight with. At this rate, it was looking hopeless.

_If she turns me into a Plus…_he thought to himself, looking up through the hazy curtain at Tomoe. _I'll have enough of my reiatsu freed for one single attack. I might be able to fight her with that…but it'll shorten my chain. I'd need to find a shinigami fast…_

It was a grim thought, but it was fast getting to the point where a last resort might be necessary. She took a step forward, her eyes hard, and Yasui understood at that moment that she intended to be close by if he died, so that she could stop him from attacking, and possibly rip out his chain of fate. His fingers twitched again, and he felt for it, the small vial of water he kept hidden in the straps of his backpack, just in case.

He couldn't become a Hollow. He had enough water, just enough…to sever his own chain and get away.

If it came to that…

"Yasui!"

Yasui looked up at the shout, gritting his teeth and raising his head against the pillar of wind that drove him downwards into the ground. Hitsugaya appeared in the air above him, his haori fluttering behind him as he touched down lightly on top of the nearest building. He raised his sword, swinging it in an arc, and suddenly a swirling maelstrom of ice formed in the air, crashing down towards them.

Tomoe's eyes widened, and she jumped back away from the impact point. But the ice didn't target her.

Instead, it zeroed in, surrounding Yasui.

Yasui grinned, pushing himself up to his feet the rest of the way as he was suddenly engulfed in ice.

The ice melted and parted, a huge wave of water encircling him and drifting upwards, so high that it nearly reached the top of the alley walls. Yasui stood in the center of the deluge, his hands outstretched on either side of him and his palms facing upwards.

Tomoe's eyes widened further in terror, and she took a step back, raising her arm to protect herself. Yasui tilted his head upwards slightly, his eyes fixing on the shinigami captain as he flash stepped away. It looked like he would not be moving to Soul Society today. "Arigatou, Hitsugaya-san," he said with a grin, turning his eyes back to Tomoe. They narrowed dangerously, and the grin disappeared from his face.

"Now, where were we?" he asked, the walls of water beside him remaining completely still. His frown deepened. "Oh, right," he said, a small smirk appearing on his face.

"You were losing."

He swept his right hand out in front of him, the water sweeping towards Tomoe and flooding the alleyway. She took a step back, her arm pulled in front of herself. The water parted around her, steam rising up in a billowing cloud as it reached her.

Behind the wave of water, Yasui moved, jumping into the air with a shout. He pulled back both of his hands behind his head, adjusting his grip as if he were holding the hilt of a sword. As he came down, he slashed forward, the remainder of the water funneling into his hands as it crashed against her shield head-on.

The shield shattered with a hiss of steam, and Tomoe's eyes widened as she was suddenly swept away in the flood.

* * *

The Soren Sokatsui thundered through the air, leaving reverberations in its wake. The light slowly faded away, revealing a large crater on an empty rooftop. Byakuya reappeared on the alley's ground, his arm around his fukutaicho. He slowly lowered her to the ground, his eyes narrowed as he faced the figure on the rooftop.

Catalina had stopped as well, and was now staring at her.

From this height, it was difficult to see, but there was no mistaking the proud bearing and slender figure of Kiyomizu Hanako, the leader of the New Dawn. That was what Byakuya saw with his eyes.

But his spiritual senses told him another thing entirely.

"…This reiatsu…" he murmured under his breath.

"Taicho?" asked Yuzu, looking up at him with a questioning frown. He said nothing, watching as Hanako disappeared from sight. Catalina grinned, sheathing her zanpakuto.

"Looks like we'll have to save this for another time," she said, grabbing Jin's limp form around the waist and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. "See you then, Kuchiki Byakuya." She vanished.

Byakuya's frown deepened, and he held out Senbonzakura's hilt, calling his zanpakuto's blades back to him. They arrived, reforming the katana. He sheathed it in a single movement, glancing back as he felt the approach of two familiar reiatsus. Beside him, Yuzu frowned, but followed his lead, returning Jungetsu back to its sealed form and sheathing it as well. He looked back at her, a questioning look in his eye as he watched the Arrancar make off with the unconscious human shooter.

She looked away, understanding his question. Her silence was answer enough.

She was saved from him questioning her out loud by the arrival of Hitsugaya Toshiro. The Tenth Division captain appeared at the mouth of the alley, rushing over to them. His zanpakuto was sheathed, but the air still carried with it the cold of winter and the promise of snow, a residual effect of the earlier battle.

"Hitsugaya-kun!" said Yuzu at his approach. "Where's Karin?"

"Soul Society," said Hitsugaya. "I sent her back with an informant."

"Was this informant human?" asked Byakuya.

"He was," said Toshiro, emphasizing the past-tense. He frowned, looking over the remnants of battle in the ruined alley, and at their gigais lying motionless on the ground. "I see you two ran into some trouble as well."

"Some," replied Byakuya coolly.

The other presence arrived, running around the corner of the alley. Yasui Tetsuya was fit for a human, but he was still only human, and he was out of breath. To his credit, he didn't double over to catch his breath, instead leaning against the alley wall and trying to regulate his breathing.

"Yasui-kun, what happened?" asked Yuzu.

"Ran into the New Dawn's third in command," said Yasui once he had caught his breath. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his sleeve. "We had a bit of a fight. I couldn't find her afterwards."

"Kiyomizu Hanako appeared," said Byakuya. "She seemed to be leading a retreat."

"They'll be back," said Toshiro. "They weren't fighting us seriously. That was a test run."

"Agreed," said Byakuya, nodding.

"What should we do now?" asked Yuzu.

"We return to Soul Society," said Byakuya. "We discuss the matter thoroughly and offer the soutaicho our report. After that, I would imagine the Onmitsukido would be sent out to thoroughly search the area."

"If I were Kiyomizu Hanako, though, I'd be long gone," said Yasui with a frown.

"There is always that possibility," said Byakuya. "But as Hitsugaya-taicho has said, they will return."

"I'll keep Kusanagi on the alert," said Yasui, frowning. "We might be able to have Kasumi-chan scan the city, see if that gives us any leads. I feel kind of bad about asking her to do it when she just joined, but…" He shrugged. "If we have to."

The two shinigami captains nodded. Hitsugaya thrust Hyourinmaru into the air, forming the familiar outline of the Senkaimon around the sword. As he watched, three jigokuchos floated out of the gap between the doors, one butterfly flying over to each shinigami. Toshiro's alighted on his shoulder, Byakuya's hovering just over his ear. Yuzu reached out a hand, allowing her butterfly to land on her finger.

Byakuya moved first, heading through the gate. Hitsugaya followed behind him. Yuzu moved last, glancing back at Yasui.

"Good luck," she said. "I'm sorry you have to get involved.

"Don't worry about me," said Yasui, grinning. "If anything, you should worry. You don't get a second chance if you die."

She frowned, but nodded, following the captains into the Senkaimon.

"I'll take care of your gigais," promised Yasui.

The gate closed, returning them to Soul Society again.

* * *

"…_What's the point in being a shinigami?" _

_The man stood with his back to her, his dark hair blowing in the wind as he stared down at the streets of the 67th District of Rukongai. Even in memory, he seemed unreachable, one hand resting on the powerful sword at his side. She knew what that sword was and what it represented. She took a deep breath, her hand clenched close to her chest. _

"_You get all of this fancy recognition, and for what? So you can sit in Seireitei and live easy? The shinigami don't care about us. Why in the hell would you want to be like them?" _

"…_They'll just betray you. Everyone will." _

"…_People like us, we have power. We don't need them. We can survive for ourselves."_

"_Are you listening to me, Kin?" _

"_Kin?"_

"…_Kin!" _

"Kohaku!"

Kohaku's eyes snapped open, and she took a deep breath, bracing her hands on the desk on either side of her and pushing up. Abarai Renji, captain of the Third Division, stared down at her, a frown on his face. Her heart thundered in her chest, her eyes wide and her breath coming in short pants. Her glasses were askew, and the papers on the desk in front of her were slightly disheveled.

"Oi, have you been asleep this whole time?" asked Renji, frowning and folding his arms. "Izuru's been waiting on that duty roster for twenty minutes."

"T-Taicho," she said, once she had collected herself. She fixed her glasses, taking another deep breath and tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Kohaku stared down at the desk, her senses slowly returning to her.

Right. She was Iwase Kohaku, fourth seat of the Third Division, and it was still office hours. She was a shinigami. Had been a shinigami for ten years now. That portion of her life was history.

But it had been so long since she had had that dream…

Not since her first day at the Shino Academy…

"Gomen…" she said, snatching the duty roster up off the top of the desk. "I fell asleep for a bit but it's done. I'll get it over to the fukutaicho right away."

"Sheesh," said Renji, waving his hand dismissively. "Just don't let it happen again."

Kohaku nodded absently, running out of the room and heading towards the administrative office, the duty roster clenched in her hand.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**A/N: **Shinkyo (心鏡, _heart mirror_) is an illusion-type technique used by Jungetsu. It is Jungetsu's third shikai technique, and its ultimate shikai technique. It projects an image of the target's current desire for a few seconds, while simultaneously hiding any contradictions. It's an effective tool in battle, because it renders the opponent unaware of Yuzu's actual position and unable to determine whether or not their attacks are actually hitting. However, because it is based on the target's actual desires, it can be overcome by sufficient mental and emotional control, and requires the wielder to be constantly alert and to time activations well.

While Shinkyo only reflects the desire of its target, its effects are seen by everyone, and not simply the target.


	10. The rightness of your words

**A/N:** This chapter was a little hard to write, so I hope it turned out okay. There will be a few chapters of downtime before the plot picks up again. What I'm thinking of doing is alternating between downtime and plot arcs until the plot finishes.

**Musings of a Muse, **each member of Kusanagi and the New Dawn is one of my OCs. I'm not currently accepting submissions, because I don't want too many of them, so I just create them as the story needs them.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach. At all. Kusanagi and the New Dawn and the plot are mine though, please don't steal.

* * *

**Chapter 10: The rightness of your words**

* * *

The walk back from the First Division was tense. Byakuya kept his eyes straight ahead of him as he walked, his expression once again serious and impassive. He was dressed in his shihakusho, scarf, and haori again, and she found that she wasn't sure she liked the change. In the living world, he had seemed almost…accessible. But whatever ground she had gained with him seemed to be lost now.

Yuzu walked beside him, her hands clasped in front of her and her eyes on the ground. She knew that at least part of Byakuya's dark mood was because of her, and she wasn't ready to get called out on it.

Maybe he wouldn't. Maybe he would just decide to let it go…

"…Kurosaki," he said, as the two of them passed the Fourth Division.

Yuzu tensed. So much for that. "Hai, taicho?" she asked.

"…You left the shooter alive," he said, not turning his head towards her. "You will explain your actions."

"…I didn't want to kill him…" she said quietly. It was the best excuse she had. She had fought to, in the beginning, but had changed her strike at the last moment, when she was looking in Jin's eyes and he had raised the gun towards her. Before she even thought about what she was doing, she had snapped the fan in her hand shut, attacking with the blunt side instead of the bladed one.

"You have killed before."

"Hai, taicho," she said. "But Hollows are different. I know that the Hollows I kill are being purified, sent to Soul Society. It's not so much killing them as it is allowing them to transition…to move on…"

"Human death is a transitory phase as well."

She bit her lip, shaking her head as she kept her eyes trained on the street in front of her. "…It's different," she said. "…Shinigami are supposed to protect humans, living and dead. What kind of a person would I be if I killed Jin and then insisted on saving his soul…? At least that's what I thought about then…"

Byakuya's voice was cold, and it held no sympathy, only harsh truth. "You have allowed your emotions to interfere with your duty," he said. "In doing so, you have failed to neutralize a threat. Jin may kill another in the future. Are you willing to accept that as the consequence of your actions?"

Yuzu frowned. "I just wanted to give him a second chance…" she said. She took a deep breath, deciding to say what had been on her mind since running into the New Dawn. "I think they're being manipulated by the Arrancar, taicho. I don't think they fully know what they're getting into."

"Very well," said Byakuya. "…I will accept your reasoning at this time. But should the New Dawn attack us again, it is to be treated as an act of war. Are you prepared to accept what that entails?"

Yuzu didn't respond, twisting her fingers together nervously. She didn't know what her answer would be. She had been prepared to fight against the Arrancar, but when faced with another human…faced with someone who was the same as she had been, she didn't know if she could do it. She remembered her own death. It wasn't a pleasant memory. She had been willing to blame the Hollows for it, willing to grow to fight them.

If a shinigami killed a human, wouldn't they also grow to fight the shinigami?

But at the same time, war was war. She was a vice-captain of the Gotei 13. She couldn't falter here, not when everyone in her Division was expecting her to help lead the fight…

"I…" she began, hesitant.

"Oi, Byakuya! Yuzu!"

The two of them paused, looking up at the sound of the familiar voice. They were passing the Fifth now, and Ichigo was walking out the gate, heading purposefully towards them. Yuzu blinked.

"Ichi-nii," she said, turning towards him.

Byakuya frowned, but said nothing, turning to face Ichigo as well.

"You're back," said Ichigo as he reached them. "How was the mission?"

"We…er…ran into some slight complications," replied Yuzu.

Ichigo's expression grew slightly more serious. He glanced at Byakuya. "Complications?" he asked.

"It would appear as though the members of the New Dawn are allied with the Arrancar. Hitsugaya-taicho and Kurosaki Karin are questioning an informant as we speak."

Ichigo's frown deepened at those words. He glanced at Yuzu for a moment, his eyes widening. "Yuzu, you're bleeding," he said.

Yuzu's eyes widened in surprise, and she turned her arm over, staring at it. She had almost forgotten about the cut Jin had given her, in the confusion of Hanako's attack and their return to Soul Society. It wasn't too bad, just a graze, but it was starting to sting. "…Right," she said. "I forgot about that…"

"What happened?" asked Ichigo.

Yuzu gave her brother a sheepish smile. "I might have…gotten shot?" she offered. Ichigo's brows shot up.

"With _what_?" he asked.

"With a gun," she said simply. "…It missed though."

Ichigo looked like he might have said more, but Byakuya interrupted him, glancing at Yuzu out of the corner of his eye.

"Kurosaki, report to the Fourth," he said. "Return to our Division when you are finished." His expression told her quite plainly that they were not finished with their earlier conversation. Yuzu winced inwardly, but nodded once in response.

"…Hai, taicho," she said.

"Kurosaki Ichigo…" said Byakuya, frowning at her brother. "I would like a word."

Ichigo frowned, folding his arms. "I'm listening," he said.

Byakuya's eyes passed over Yuzu again, and then moved to the right, where a pair of shinigami were walking past, talking with each other about something. "Your office," he finally said.

Ichigo frowned, but nodded once. "Aa," he said, tilting his head in the direction of the Fifth Division. "It's this way." He turned towards Yuzu as the two of them began to move, heading into the Fifth Division. "Yuzu, you better go get that checked out."

Yuzu watched as the two of them walked into the Fifth Division. She sighed, staring down at her hand. Byakuya's words were still ringing in her mind.

"_Jin may kill another in the future. Are you willing to accept that as a consequence of your actions?" _

_Did I do something wrong, Jungetsu-chan…? _she asked quietly, her fingers brushing over her zanpakutos hilt.

There was no response for a while, and then slowly, words began to form on the inside of her mind.

_**You did nothing but make a choice. Learn to stand by the decisions you make.**_

It didn't answer her question, but she knew Jungetsu enough to know that that was the best answer she was likely to get. Jungetsu didn't usually give straight answers or opinions, instead turning Yuzu's dilemmas back towards her. She had never heard her zanpakuto spirit refer to anything as right or wrong either. She spoke of morality in terms of choices and decisions, of resolution and determination.

It made her wonder what that said about her, that her zanpakuto spirit acted in such a way…

_**By my very nature, I bend truth**_**, **wrote Jungetsu, as if sensing her wielder's inner thoughts. _**So by my very nature, I know no truth. I am only a mirror. I reflect the truth in your heart. But if the truth you show me is vague and uncertain…what image am I to reflect? I see the hearts of others. **_

_**If you truly wish to control me, you must define your own. **_

Yuzu frowned, but said nothing in response, removing her hand from Jungetsu's hilt and making her way to the Fourth Division.

* * *

The Tenth Division's administrative office seemed quiet without Matsumoto occupying the other desk, although the piles of paperwork on Toshiro's desk were as large as they had always been. Karin shut the sliding door behind her, stepping inside and setting the can of soda on the coffee table in front of Kaito.

"Thanks," said Kaito quietly, picking up the can and opening it with a hiss. He seemed mostly recovered from his ordeal, but he was still slightly pale, and was still dressed in his living world attire. The chain of fate had disappeared from his chest the moment they crossed into Soul Society, and he now looked just as he had when he first came across them.

Karin shrugged in response, taking a seat across from Toshiro.

"So this is the afterlife?" asked Kaito, taking a small sip. "Somehow it's less…peaceful than I imagined."

Karin snorted. "You're telling me?" she asked. She sat back, leaving the interrogation to Toshiro. Keeping Kaito alive had been her job. Now that he was in Soul Society, it was time for Toshiro to play the part of a captain.

He didn't respond, setting the can back down on the table. His expression grew serious, and he turned towards Toshiro. "So what happens now?" he asked.

"You'll get the same thing Kusanagi's members were promised, if they happened to die in active duty," said Toshiro. "Housing in one of the First Districts of Rukongai, and the opportunity to try for the Shino Academy if you wish."

"I see…" Kaito clasped his hands in front of him, staring down at the notepad set casually on the coffee table in front of him. "But I'm assuming this comes with a catch. I never fought for you before today, so there's no reason to treat me like a longtime ally."

"We need the information you have about the New Dawn," replied Toshiro. "And we need to know your involvement in it."

"The New Dawn approached me a few weeks ago," said Kaito. "They wanted me to join their ranks. I did. But I began to notice that something was strange about Kiyomizu, and about the other officials as well. When I realized Kiyomizu wasn't human and I saw her talking to those…Arrancar? Is that what they're called?" At Toshiro's nod, Kaito went on. "…I ran off. I watched people like you for a while—shinigami. Once I discovered you were fighting Kiyomizu, I decided to offer my information to you."

"So you were only a member of the New Dawn for a short amount of time?" asked Toshiro.

He nodded. "I can give you some information, though, about the people in charge of the New Dawn. My powers give me more insight into people than you would otherwise get."

Toshiro motioned towards the notepad in front of him. "I'm listening," he said.

Kaito picked up the notepad, flipping it open and picking up the pen next to it. He drew a circle in the center of one page, with a smaller circle on each corner around it. "The New Dawn is headed by Kiyomizu Hanako." He wrote her name in the center of the largest circle. "…You already know what I know about her. She claims to be a college student at Tokyo University, but her aura tells me that she's from a different plane of existence."

"Soul Society?" asked Toshiro.

Kaito shook his head. "No, but close," he said. "It's not…wherever the Arrancar are from, but I can detect some traces of it in her aura too. Like she lived there a while."

"What else can you tell me about her, from her aura?" asked Toshiro. "Tell me everything. Even if it doesn't seem important to you, it may be relevant."

Kaito frowned. "She's definitely not what she appears to be," he said. "I…I don't see concrete images when I read people. I see…images. Snapshots, for the most part…things that are open to interpretation."

"What do you see in her?" asked Toshiro again, writing things down in his own notes.

"…She's deeply devoted to a cause—completely emotionally invested in it. I don't think she's completely sane. I get the sense that she's bound…somehow…to someone or something, and that at one point, she was hurt very deeply." He shook his head. "It's confusing. There's just so _much _to her aura. With a human, it's a couple of years. With people like you…" He trailed off. "But that's all."

"She has two subordinates on either side of the coin. First, we have the human ones. Her third in command is Hamano Tomoe. She's in her third year of high school. Hamano acts as Kiyomizu's right hand on most days. She can control air and its ambient temperature. She is fiercely devoted to Kiyomizu, and won't hear a word against her. It seems as though she had a rough past, and Kiyomizu stepped in at the time when she was most vulnerable…"

"And her second in command?"

Kaito frowned, moving his pen over to the next circle. "…I don't know his surname," he finally said. "His first name is Yuichi. He isn't around much, and doesn't seem like the social type. I don't know his powers either."

"His aura?"

"…Different," said Kaito after a while. "I can't really place it. I haven't observed him long enough to tell. But there's a lot of hatred in him, and I can tell you this…He's from Soul Society. He's the man that interfered with your battle, from the rooftop."

Karin's frown deepened at Kaito's words. She remembered that man on the rooftop, the expression on his eyes and the amber blast of reiatsu he had formed.

Yuichi…

She and Toshiro exchanged glances. If he was from Soul Society, then he had probably been a shinigami at some point. It meant that there was a high probability someone in Seireitei would know him, but it also meant that he would know them. He knew how they worked and how they operated, and he was on Kiyomizu's side.

It was a dangerous thing to consider.

"And her other two subordinates?" asked Toshiro after a while, turning back to Kaito.

"The Arrancar," said Kaito. "Their names are Catalina and Siegel. I can't tell you much about them…other than the fact that they interact with the trusted members of the New Dawn."

"How many trusted members are we talking about?" asked Karin, interrupting the interrogation for the first time. Kaito frowned, looking up at her. "Hamano and Yuichi, the shooter Jin…I think that might be it. The New Dawn itself has about six members."

"Around the same size as Kusanagi…" said Karin, looking over at Toshiro.

He nodded once. "I'll send this information to Urahara and ask him to pass it on. It's highly likely that if the New Dawn attacks, they'll attack Kusanagi first."

"Are those guys ready for it?" asked Karin.

"They have strong fighters, like Yasui…" said Toshiro. "But some of their powers are purely support, like Yokota…It's hard to say. No one in Kusanagi stands a chance against the Arrancar."

"Yeah," said Karin, nodding. "What do we do?"

"Kusanagi has an open line to the Tenth Division. I think they're smart enough to call if they get in over their heads. We can send shinigami out to them on rotation, but we can't continually send high-level shinigami to babysit them. We might have to send a seated officer to them."

"…Like a fourth seat?" asked Karin.

Toshiro frowned. "Are you volunteering?" he asked.

Karin shrugged. "I wouldn't mind," she said. "I don't like the idea of leaving those guys alone. It'd be like throwing them under a bus."

"It will come down to what the soutaicho approves…" said Toshiro. "And whether or not your Division lets you go."

Karin snorted, folding her arms and leaning back in her seat. "Right. Because _that'll _be a problem." She couldn't imagine any of the people higher up than her in her Division having an issue with her running off into a situation that might involve a fight. If anything, Ichigo might have a bigger problem with it than the Eleventh would.

Toshiro sighed. "True enough," he said. "…Anyway, I have to give this report to the soutaicho. Can you take Asakawa to Rukongai and get him settled? It's short notice, but…"

"Sure," said Karin, getting up. She glanced at Kaito, who up until now had been watching the exchange between them with a slightly confused frown on his face. "…Come on," she said. "Worse comes to worst, you can stay with my dad for the night. But let's just say you should hope it doesn't come to that…"

* * *

Yuzu sat at her writing desk, staring out at the garden through the window in her quarters. She frowned in thought, idly running her finger down the bandage around her arm. Hanataro had healed her wound as best as he could, but it looked like Jin's bullets had been coated with some sort of reiatsu suppressant. The wound would heal normally, according to Unohana-taicho, but it resisted attempts to accelerate the healing process. If it had struck her in the heart, it would almost certainly have killed her.

Just another complication to add to what had become a disaster of a mission…

It was already after hours, and there was no sign of Byakuya. He probably wouldn't be back in today. It was too late at night to get any real work done. He would probably arrive first thing in the morning tomorrow, and he might be in a better mood then. She didn't think for a moment that he would let the issue with Jin go completely, but he might be more inclined to let certain things slide after a night's rest.

She knew that he was concerned about her level of commitment. _She _was concerned about her level of commitment. She also knew that there were very few lengths Byakuya would not go to to fulfill whatever he thought was his duty. She had heard from Shiyougi that he had once imprisoned Renji after he had lost a fight to her brother. He had changed slightly since then, to hear Ichigo and Rukia tell it, but what would he do if he thought his vice-captain would crumble under pressure and become a liability in a war?

She paused, her fingers tightening around her pen. Act of war. Both Byakuya and Jungetsu had used those words.

Was that what this would become?

As a shinigami, they were all ideally prepared for the prospect of war, but she knew that none of them were truly prepared for the reality of it. She, Karin, Kohaku, and Masa…the shinigami that had graduated after the Winter War thought the war was over, that it was before their time…

She sighed, rubbing at her eyes tiredly with the heel of her hand and setting her pen down. She had promised Hisagi-fukutaicho a small story to publish for the magazine, with another slow month approaching, but she couldn't seem to come up with anything to write. She had been full of inspiration last week, before all of this had happened.

She sighed, getting to her feet. She needed to clear her head. A cup of tea would help.

The Division was quiet. She could hear a few faint voices here and there and the sound of footsteps, but although the Rokubantai wasn't an unfriendly Division, it wasn't as boisterous or as loud as some of the others. It had always had more of a peaceful feel to it. Today, though, that peace seemed to be on edge. It wasn't the peace of rest. It was the calm before the storm, the peace of quiet contemplation and dark thoughts.

In this way, it almost seemed like the Division reflected the mood of its captain.

_Like a mirror…_she thought, remembering Jungetsu's words.

She entered the kitchen, rummaging in one of the cupboards for the teabags someone had brought from the living world. She normally brewed tea the old-fashioned way—Byakuya and some of the other officers preferred it—but if she was making it just for herself, it wouldn't matter. Yuzu used kido to heat the water in her mug. Most of the Divisions had some modern conveniences brought over from the living world. The Sixth did have a microwave someone had brought over, but it would be annoyingly loud in the current quiet, and she didn't want to wake anyone up. As she let the tea steep, she thought about that comparison.

The men and women of the Sixth might not realize it, but they did reflect their captain's moods. When he was tense, the mood was tense. When he was relaxed, the mood was generally relaxed.

The Sixth reflected Byakuya like Jungetsu reflected her. But Jungetsu couldn't reflect what Yuzu didn't show her…like the Sixth didn't radiate grief, because it didn't know about Hisana.

Jungetsu couldn't reflect her fully, because there were portions of her that she was hiding somehow. But what? Jungetsu was part of her soul. She knew everything that Yuzu knew about herself…

…The only things she didn't know about Yuzu were the things that Yuzu herself didn't know. The things that Yuzu had never defined…or had never wanted to admit.

She sighed, blowing some of the steam off the top of her mug. That just brought up more questions, questions that she didn't want to think about at the moment…

"You are still awake."

She tensed, her fingers tightening around her mug as she turned her head. Byakuya stood in the hallway that led out from the administrative office, a frown on his face. He didn't phrase it as a question, but the question was evident in his eyes, now that she was getting better at reading them. He looked…tired, somehow, like the conversation he had had with her brother had wearied him. He held a book in his hand. She realized that he must have come here to take it from the shelves in the administrative office. She thought about asking him what he and Ichigo had talked over, but decided against it.

Someone would tell her if they thought it was something she needed to know.

"I was…thinking over some things…" she said. "I couldn't sleep, so I came out for some tea."

He frowned slightly. "…Things such as?"

"Such as the conversation we had earlier," she said quietly.

"Have you come to any conclusions?"

She shook her head, cupping her mug in both hands. "Only that I am being very unreliable," she said, with a slightly bitter smile. She watched the steam curl off the surface of the tea, taking a deep breath.

"…I'm not…much of a soldier…" she said. "…I fight Hollows, because I know what I'm fighting for. I don't know if I can kill Jin…or any of the New Dawn next time. I can't answer that question. But if it comes to war…I'll fight. I'll stand with Seireitei. With my siblings, with the Rokubantai..."

…_and with you. _

The words went unspoken. They died in her throat, like all of the other words that had formed in her mind in situations like this. She turned away, setting her mug down and reaching for another. She needed to do something with her hands, to disperse the tension in the air somehow…

"Do you want some tea?" she asked, changing the subject. "I know it's late, and you're probably heading back to your manor, but it's been a long day, and—."

"Kurosaki," he said, interrupting her. Her hand froze, halfway to one of the boxes on the shelf. She slowly turned to face him, a slightly guilty expression on her face.

"Hai?" she asked.

"…Will you now show me empty duty?"

She frowned, slowly lowering her hand and turning fully. "…Taicho?" she asked.

"…In your officer interview, you said that compassion was the basis of moral character. That without it, duty was an empty shell. I asked you to show me the rightness of your words. You are not showing me that now. It appears as though you do not believe in the words you spoke."

She smiled sadly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She remembered that. "It appears as though I'm uncertain about a lot of things now, doesn't it?" she asked, picking up her cup. "Between you and Jungetsu…You're both giving me a lot of questions I can't answer right now. All I know is that I don't want to let you down."

Silence hung in the air after her words. She took a deep breath, shaking her head. "Sorry," she said. "I know…I'm not making much sense now. I'll see you in the morning, taicho."

She bowed politely, taking her cup and turning to leave. She walked past him, making her way down the hallway.

"Kurosaki," said Byakuya again.

She stopped walking, but didn't turn to face him. "Hai, taicho?" she asked.

"…I would like some tea, before I take my leave."

She took a deep breath, but nodded once, a smile appearing on her face as she turned around.

"Hai, taicho," she said. "If you want to just sit at the table, I'll get it right away."

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**Omake: **

"Here are the things Kurosaki-san and Kuchiki-san had on their gigais," said Yasui, handing a small plastic bag over to Urahara. "They had some things at the hotel as well that I'll bring over in the morning…oh, and a plant from the flower vendor."

Urahara grinned. "You're working hard, Yasui-kun," he commented, opening the bag and examining its contents. "It's almost like you don't want to go home~"

"Ah, well," said Yasui, scratching the back of his neck. "You know how it is."

"Say hello to Mari-chan for me."

Yasui twitched, freezing up as he walked down the sidewalk away from the store. Urahara grinned behind his paper fan, looking through the bag of things Yasui had left. He frowned, pulling out the two Soul Candy dispensers.

"…Oh," he said, sounding somewhat disappointed. "They never used these."

"What did you switch them with, anyway?" asked Yoruichi from behind him, folding her arms.

"The new edition Rabu Rabu Made for Couples Soul Candy that the women's association put out," said Urahara with a frown, opening the dispensers and removing the artificial souls from inside of them. "I thought it would be fun."

Yoruichi frowned down at him. "Kisuke…" she said. "You need a hobby."

"But this _is _my hobby, Yoruichi-san!" whined Urahara as she walked away.


	11. Symbol of our pride

**New Story Announcement: **For those of you who want to check out some of my original work, **Arbiter**, my JulNoWriMo (like NaNoWriMo but less strict) project is up on Fictionpress dot com. I go by the same pen name there as I do here, so just do a quick author search. You can easily log-on to Fictionpress with your FF account by clicking "Login with Fanfiction dot net" at the Fictionpress login screen.

**Chasing **will be a little slower on the update during July, but I would be really happy if you guys checked **Arbiter **out and continued being such an awesome audience!

**A/N: **For those of you wanting more Karin action, she features hugely into the action of the next battle arc and the arc after that, so don't worry about it. ^^

Also, VIVA ESPANA! (Euro 2012). Feeling so proud to be Spanish right now. If this chapter seems a little disjointed, I was writing it while watching the final game.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Bleach. At all. Kusanagi and the New Dawn and the plot are mine though, please don't steal.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Symbol of our pride**

* * *

Yuzu smiled, walking down the halls of the Third Division. It had been a while since she had found herself down here, but with the events of the past week, she had been extremely busy. She had wanted to come as soon as they returned from the living world, but her duties necessitated that she stay in the Sixth until all the reports were filed and all preparations for a sudden attack had been taken care of. On the bright side, Rangiku was going to be released from the Fourth today, and Byakuya no longer seemed angry at her, so she assumed the matter about Jin had been settled.

For now. If they attacked again, she would be forced to make another decision.

It was a sobering thought, but the past few days had been peaceful, so she tried not to dwell on it too much.

She walked over to the room where the seated officers had their desks, knocking once on the door before sliding it open. Kohaku looked up from her desk inside, a grin appearing on her face when she saw Yuzu.

"Look what the cat dragged in," said Kohaku. "I was starting to think you were being held prisoner or something."

Yuzu gave her friend a sheepish smile. "I've been busy," she said. "Do you want to take a break?"

"I've been waiting for someone to ask that," replied Kohaku, tossing her pen casually onto the desk. She tilted her chair back, raising her arms up over her head and stretching. "Ugh, I don't know how you stand it. I've been doing paperwork for two hours and it already feels like hell."

"But Kohaku-chan," said Yuzu, her smile growing. "I thought you said your dream was to be a captain someday."

"Pfft, _when _I become a captain, I'm gonna find some vice-captain to do all my paperwork," she said, getting to her feet. "It's the Kyouraku-taicho style of leadership!" She walked over to Yuzu, glancing at her out of the corner of her eye as she folded her arms. "…So…Yuzu-chan, how attached are you to the Rokubantai?"

She pretended to think about it for a minute. "You know, it's a generous offer, but I think I'll pass," she said.

"Right, I forgot," said Kohaku, grinning. "I'll grab Masa instead. Wouldn't want to pull you away from Captain Tall, Dark, and Frozen."

Yuzu's face reddened. "K-Kohaku-chan!" she said, glancing around to see if anyone was in the office. It was empty. She let out a sigh of relief. "Please don't talk about that here," she said, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"Oh, come on, no one's listening," said Kohaku, looking around. "And even if they were, who cares? It's not like half the female population of Seireitei doesn't already have a crush on him."

"H-Hai…but I'd just rather not have anyone know about it…" said Yuzu, folding her arms. "Especially not Ichi-nii and Karin-chan…" She mumbled the last part, but Kohaku nodded in understanding.

"They'd raise hell," she said. "...Masa was already pretty pissed off about it."

Yuzu's eyes widened. "Kohaku-chan, you _told him?_" she asked, turning towards her friend.

"I may have implied something to the effect," said Kohaku. "Don't worry. He's not going to tell anyone. You know how he gets. The thought's probably still running round and round in that head of his and driving him into a panic."

"Mou, I can't _believe _you!" said Yuzu angrily. "That was a secret!"

"You know…it might not be so bad having your _noble _cousin, who happens to be the heir to a _noble _Great House know about your feelings for a certain _noble _head of another _noble _Great House so that they could potentially come to some sort of _noble _agreement…Have I made my point yet?"

Yuzu sighed, sweatdropping. "You have," she said. "_Multiple _times. And I told you, I don't want that. It's just a crush. It's not like I actually want to go after him or anything like that…"

Even as she said it, she paused, her mind going back to the image of Byakuya standing in front of Hisana's grave, of the look of grief in his eye. Of the conversation they had had, and the single moment they had shared out there. That was the day she had realized that her taicho was _human _inside, that there was more to him than noble grace and unshakeable pride…

She hesitated, lowering her eyes to the ground.

What would happen if Byakuya found out about her feelings for him? She had seen the cold, dismissive way he dealt with fangirls. She knew for a fact that he denied transfer requests from female shinigami constantly, if they could provide no good reason as to why they would want to join the Rokubantai. She'd seen female shinigami coldly dismissed from the Rokubantai's ranks because they had joined the Division for the wrong reason. The women of the Sixth, like Shirogane-san, knew better. They were the ones who were clearly in it because they believed in the Rokubantai's vision. They admired their captain, but never in that way.

She knew from watching him that he was indifferent to the attention at best and annoyed by it at worst. If she actually tried anything…what little window into Byakuya's heart that she had managed to pry open over the past sixteen years would close completely…and then what?

He would be forever unreachable. She didn't think she could live like that. She would transfer before he could even think of kicking her out.

But even then, she wouldn't be able to get away. Because of her brother and his sister…because of Masa and his obligations…she would probably still end up running into him. If Rukia and Ichigo had a child, she would have to share a niece or nephew with him. How much would it hurt her to be so close, so connected, but to see him closed off to her completely, to look at her like nothing more than another one of those girls who threw themselves at him? Her heart ached at the thought, a weight settling into the pit of her stomach.

…No. She'd rather carry this secret to the grave than lose whatever small trust he had given her.

"…It's not like I'd have a chance if I did want to…" she said quietly. "Being this close is enough…"

Kohaku sighed. "Would you listen to yourself?" she asked. "That doesn't sound like just a crush to me..."

Yuzu said nothing in reply, and Kohaku sighed, tugging at the end of her long braid as she eyed her best friend. "…Okay," she said. "I get it…I'll change the subject. But before I do, can I just say something?"

Yuzu looked up at her, nodding once.

"You say it's just a crush, but it's not. If it were just a crush—butterflies in your stomach and all that—it wouldn't have lasted ten years. You want something. And maybe you don't want to chase after him, make him fall in love with you, and live happily ever after. Maybe you don't want the money and perks that come with nobility, and all of that other crap the fangirls are after. But you want something out of this, and you should figure out what that is."

Yuzu looked away, staring at the corner of the room. What she wanted…

What did she want? What was her goal in staying by his side?

She didn't want a fairytale ending or to become the Soul Society equivalent of a princess…she knew that much. The thought of Byakuya playing the part of Prince Charming in some Disney fairytale was enough to send her into a fit of giggles—the image was just so _wrong_. But if that wasn't the case, then why was she still here?

…She thought back to Byakuya at Hisana's grave, and suddenly, her own motivations came into sharp clarity, and like a knife, the knowledge of her own desires stabbed her in the heart, making it ache. An image passed through her mind again, the same image of Byakuya staring at Hisana's grave, of the pain in his eyes. It was followed by an image of Byakuya at Ichigo and Rukia's wedding, dressed in his finest attire and looking appropriately regal, but watching his sister with those same sad eyes as she smiled and talked and made jokes with Abarai-taicho and Ichigo…

He had stayed just close enough to be seen, but he had kept his distance.

He was always on the outside of everything. Even when he got involved in a situation, it always seemed as though he was somewhere else, somewhere high above the rest of them. But in those moments, when it seemed as though he had momentarily lowered himself, she caught glimpses of what was inside.

And she saw only pain. Old scars from wounds that had never fully had a chance to heal…feelings, confessions, truths that had never seen the light of day, because he had no one. No one at his side, no one he could speak to, no one he could truly trust. The only person close enough to him was Rukia, and he would see it as his duty to not burden her with things like that.

He lived in this world completely alone, and it hurt her to know that.

She still remembered the look in his eyes when she confronted him about going to see a grave. She knew that look would be burned into her memory. It had shown her, for the first time, that Byakuya wasn't some unreachable figure…just a man that carried an unimaginable burden…and that carried it alone.

And she wanted…

…She wanted to help carry that burden.

She wanted to know him. Not the captain, not the rich nobleman…

…She wanted to know the man that couldn't figure out how to use an air-conditioner. Who still seriously thought the Seaweed Ambassador would eventually catch on as the Sixth Division mascot. Who knew the names, blooming season, and species of every single flower that could conceivably grow in Japan or in Soul Society.

...Who still loved a woman that had been dead for seventy years. Who, despite all that, had let the one single concrete link he had to her walk out of his manor without a word of complaint because she was in love with Kurosaki Ichigo…

She exhaled slowly, the weight of her realization slowly beginning to sink in.

"Yeah…" she said quietly. "…I think I know, Kohaku-chan."

"Good," said Kohaku. "I didn't want you being completely oblivious. Watching Karin and Hitsugaya-taicho dance around each other for six years was painful enough. Now…" Kohaku grinned, rounding on her friend and putting her hands at her hips. "The mission. How did it go? I want to hear _everything_…"

* * *

Byakuya frowned as he walked back to the Sixth Division, his meeting with the Kuchiki elders still weighing heavily on his mind. Not since marrying Hisana had he had a meeting with them that had not put him in a foul mood for the rest of the day. Still, it seemed as though they respected his authority, if only nominally.

He walked through the Division gates, his mind flashing back to the words exchanged at the meeting…

"_I have said this before. Rukia is heir. Her marriage changes nothing." _

"_With all due respect, Byakuya-sama, Rukia-sama is only the heir presumptive. Her status will change when an official Kuchiki heir is named." _

"_Rukia-sama holds no true Kuchiki blood," said another elder. "In contrast, the man she has married possesses Ankoujin and Shiba blood. The integrity of the Kuchiki House would be ruined should her child take control of the House." _

"_She is the only other member of the main family," said Byakuya. "I will not name another heir." _

"_Then, Byakuya-sama, if you will not _name _another heir, it follows that you must give us another heir. It has been seventy years since Hisana-sama's death. You must put aside your feelings and consider marrying again." _

"_I will not speak on this matter until the current crisis has been resolved," replied Byakuya coolly, staring at the assembled elders in front of him. "At the moment, my duties lie with the shinigami and the Sixth Division." _

"_Byakuya-sama, with all due respect…" began another elder. "This current crisis is exactly why this matter should be resolved quickly. We live in dangerous times, and if you insist on fighting, we must consider the possibility that you will fall in battle." _

_Byakuya's eyes narrowed dangerously at those words. "…I am aware that the possibility exists," he said. "But now is not the time to consider this issue. We are preparing for war." _

_The elders exchanged glances before the leader of the council spoke. "Very well, Byakuya-sama," he said. "We accept your decision. However, do we have your word that when the crisis is resolved, you will do your duty to the Kuchiki Clan?" _

"…_You tread dangerous ground to assume that I would do any less," said Byakuya icily, getting to his feet. "This meeting is adjourned." _

He had managed to keep them at bay for now, but it was only until the crisis was resolved. And then…he would do his duty. He knew that the elders waited in the wings. If he died in battle without naming an heir, they would not pass the clan to Rukia. They would take it upon themselves to name another heir, no matter what decisions he made.

The only heir they would accept would be one of Kuchiki blood.

He stepped into his office, putting those considerations out of his mind for a moment as he looked around. His vice-captain was nowhere to be seen. Instead, several boxes had been placed in the center of his office, along with a potted plant that he remembered seeing from the Tokyo vendor. A piece of paper had been placed on top of the pile. He glanced at it idly.

_Kurosaki-san, _

_Here are the things you left in the living world. _

_Left them with Urahara-san. Hope they get to you! _

_-Yasui_

He frowned and walked over to his desk. The fact that the letter had been addressed to his vice-captain and not to him did not go unmissed. Still, it wasn't an uncommon occurrence. He supposed it was because she interacted with others more than he did.

He glanced at his vice-captain's desk. It was neat, with no paperwork left on top of it. His own desk held a small stack, with a note in her handwriting on top. Byakuya picked it up, looking over it.

_Taicho, _

_I finished my paperwork. Here is everything requiring your signature. _

_I'll be out until around 3:00 PM, but I'll be at the Third if you need me. _

_Have a good day,_

_Kurosaki Yuzu_

He set the note down, looking over at the clock. It was close to 2:45. Byakuya sat behind his desk, ignoring the boxes in the center of the office for a moment as he set to work signing the papers she had left.

At close to three o'clock, the door to his office opened. Byakuya glanced up, watching as Yuzu entered the office. She offered him a polite bow, her eyes falling on the boxes in the center of the room.

"Good afternoon, taicho," she said.

He nodded once in acknowledgment, before going back to his paperwork. "Your visit went well?"

"Hai," she said, walking over to her desk. "And your meeting?"

"…Satisfactory." He did not elaborate. "…Yasui Tetsuya has sent your belongings over from the living world. When you finish gathering your things, leave mine inside the captain's quarters. I will send someone for them."

"Hai," said Yuzu with a thoughtful frown, walking over to the boxes. She picked up Yasui's note, reading it.

"…The camellia plant has also arrived," said Byakuya. "I will send for a gardener."

"Eh?" asked Yuzu, looking over at the plant. "Do we need one? It's not really that big."

He frowned, setting aside the form he was signing and looking up at her. "…That does not please you?" he asked.

"Well, I was thinking we could plant it ourselves," said Yuzu, getting up. "But…if you want to hire a gardener, that's fine too."

"Where were you considering placing it?" asked Byakuya.

Yuzu frowned, looking over at him. "Honestly?" she asked. At his nod, she went on, lowering her eyes to the ground. "Well…I was thinking…if you were okay with it, we could plant it underneath that plum tree."

His eyes widened slightly, and Yuzu looked over at him quickly. "Only if you agree!" she said. "It's just…well…" She looked down again, tangling her fingers together. "…It seems like that tree brings to mind bad memories for you…so I thought we could make some good memories as well. That way, you don't have to feel sad every time you look at that tree. But it was just a thought."

She smiled slightly, walking away from the plant and beginning to open the first box. Byakuya frowned, watching her for a few moments. In that time, she did not look up at him, her hands busying themselves with her work. His eyes drifted away from her, towards the plant.

He stood up, his chair making a scraping noise against the wood as he did. She looked up at him, a questioning frown on her face.

"…The Noblissima camellia is the symbol of the Rokubantai," he said, slowly pulling off his white tekkou gloves and placing them on his desk. "…It will serve as a reminder of our pride, should we plant it ourselves."

Her smile brightened, and she nodded, stepping away from the box she was sorting through.

"Hai," she said with a nod.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

* * *

**Omake: **

A young woman of about twenty years old stared down at the shattered pieces of glass and plastic in front of her that had once been a cellphone. Her eye twitched, her hands clenching into fists. She was short for her age, with short black hair streaked through with pink and sharp brown eyes.

"…What the _hell _is this?" she asked, glaring at the man standing next to her.

Yasui took several steps back, raising his hands up. "E-Eto…it's not what you think, Mari-chan…" he said, sweatdropping.

"Really?" asked the girl, Mari. "Because it looks to me like that is your _phone_. The phone I lovingly built and programmed so that you could track Hollows and keep in touch with contacts in Soul Society. The phone that _I _built for you and told you specifically not to destroy. Does that sound familiar?"

"Er…we might have had that conversation," said Yasui, scratching the back of his head. She took a step forward angrily, and he raised his hands again. "B-But there were extenuating circumstances! Besides, my opponent deliberately targeted my phone!"

"Did you kill her?" asked Mari, scowling. She folded her arms.

"…Um…well, she was kind of missing after the battle, so…I don't know?"

"Sou ka…" Mari frowned, walking away from the broken phone and mumbling to herself. "…An opponent of great strength who controls wind…perhaps I could find a way to neutralize those effects…"

"…Does that mean I'm off the hook?" asked Yasui, taking a deep breath as she walked away.

Mari glanced back at him, her eyes narrowing in a glare.

* * *

"…Guess not…" Yasui muttered to himself as he sat on the sidewalk on his folded up futon, his belongings haphazardly scattered around him as he waited for the other members of Kusanagi to get home.


End file.
